


Turbo Lover

by littledozerbaby, ProfDrLachfinger



Category: Tango & Cash (1989)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Car Racing, Attempt at Humor, Banter, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Formula 1, Formula One, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male Slash, Mutual Pining, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Sexism, Porn with Feelings, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 09:03:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16783867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledozerbaby/pseuds/littledozerbaby, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfDrLachfinger/pseuds/ProfDrLachfinger
Summary: Rivaling Formula 1 pilots Ray Tango and Gabe Cash face each other in yet another Grand Prix. Heartbeats away from the finishing line events take a sharp turn as both Tango and Cash are disqualified, having been framed by their mutual rival Brian Jones. Now cast out by their respective constructors they have to fight their way back into racing ... as a team.





	1. World Championship 1986 - Part I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [littledozerbaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledozerbaby/gifts).



> This fanfiction is based on a headcanon littledozerbaby came up with when they saw pictures of Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russel in motorsport clothing. So we talked about how the original character dynamics would transport into a Formula 1 AU. Then I spent one day on Wikipedia doing some research about F1 just to come to the conclusion ... I don't have a clue xD So if you find any inaccuracies, please point them out and I might try to correct them! Also keep in mind that I tried to get as many winks to original canon into the fic as possible, the same goes with F1 references ... I know Schumacher's prime was not in the 80ies but 90ies, I just wanted to have that laugh xD

[ ](http://profdrlachfinger.tumblr.com/post/170988685994/gabe-cash-ray-tango-race-car-lovers-tango)

_*_

_"We hold each other closer, as we shift to overdrive  
_ _And everything goes rushing by, with every nerve alive  
_ _We move so fast it seems as though we've taken to the sky  
_ _Love machines in harmony, we hear the engines cry."_

_JUDAS PRIEST – Turbo Lover_

_*_

**9th Grand Prix – Great Britain – Overall Standings: Raymond Tango**

It had been sabotage. Plain and simple. Never in his life had Raymond Tango cheated in a Formula 1 race to win. He didn't need to because he was good. The best in fact. But now – faced with the FIA accusations of having tampered with his tires – it seemed like the good times were over.

The black flag indicating his qualification still swung around his head as he headed for the FIA council for his hearing. Someone had framed him. That was for sure.

***

Gabriel Cash surely leaned into a severe right hand curve and cut across the lane of another driver, leaving him behind in the spray of gravel kicked up by his tires. The engine roared as he accelerated for a long straight to leave the rest of the contestants behind. It was the ninth Grand Prix and he had his mind on winning this one, too.

The last race had been held in France with splendid weather, but now the sky was overcast and grey. Apparently Great Britain never had a summer worth the name.

Grinning, Gabe flung himself into the next series of swerves and curves of the Brands Hatch Circuit when a motion in his rearview mirror caught his attention. Next to the gravel another substance was peeling off of his tires. The purple paint indicating the ultra soft compound of his slick tires was flung away and revealed a bright orange color. What did that mean? He especially had told his mechanics not to put on the tires with the hardest compound. He needed the adhesion.

Without anymore time at hand to go in for a pit stop – he had already done one at the start of this lap to _replace_ his former tires – he headed for the finish line.

Suddenly Gabe spotted a familiar presence in his mirrors again. Raymond Tango was hard on his heels, having fought his way out of the flock of the other drivers bumbling in the back. The whole championship they had handed the first place on the podium back and forth between them. No one was as good as them by far. Naturally Gabe knew that he was the best pilot out of the two of them and so he would win again today. But before Gabe could leave Tango behind, a black flag and his number were waved at him from the side of the tracks.

His heart stopped and his breath caught. He was disqualified.

***

The tires had been tampered with, Ray knew and he was furious. He paced in front of the FIA council for misconduct and tried to make his case. But they wouldn't listen.

He was one of the most distinguished Formula 1 pilots of the last ten years and he had never cheated in his life. Of course one of the other pilots must have framed him and he just knew who was responsible. At first he had thought about Gabriel Cash. That guy had always rubbed him the wrong way on every press conference, public relation event or prototype party. But somehow this didn't seem to fit the impression he had of Cash. That guy might be a wise-cracking womanizer, but he fought fair. Ray gave him that. Then word reached him that Cash had been disqualified the same way Ray had. In the same race even! So now there was only one other explanation: Brian Jones.

Jones had been on Ray's and therefore on Cash' heels for the past three seasons. The Brit was quite a good driver, but his technique was sloppy and his moves reckless. Not endangering him but every other driver in the race.

But the FIA council remained adamant. They had found no evidence leading to Jonson's team and Ray's wheels had been tampered with. Instead of using ten of the thirteen offered Pirelli wheels, his team had used some different brand wheels and over-painted their color coding.

So Ray's super license was to be withdrawn and he would be disqualified from the current World Championship for good.

Of course Ray had ranted in front of the council, only to receive an off-hand comment along the lines of, "He thinks he's Schumacher."

To which Ray had only answered, "Schumacher is a pussy."

***

When Gabe left the building in which his council meeting had been held, a crowd of photographers and journalists already besieged him, bombarded him with questions and tried to take unflattering pictures. As if that was even possible.

Grinning, he pushed his sun glasses further up his nose and strolled over to his car, trying to stay calm in face of the twenty or so microphones shoved into his face.

"Mr. Cash how do you plead in face of the accusations of sabotage?"

"Sir, what did the council say to the recent events?"

"Hey Gabe, will the FIA disqualify you from further partaking in the Championship?"

Despite his award-winning grin, Gabe was furious. The FIA had withdrawn his super license and he was disqualified for the entire Championship! He had tried to make his case, to explain that he had been framed, but they hadn't listened.

The only thing he could do now was to keep a straight face while facing the paparazzi. They were only looking for one misstep from him so they could tear him apart in the media. But Gabe just knew how to evade that. He had his manager and team behind him, the public loved him. They couldn't touch him.


	2. World Championship 1986 - Part II

**11th Grand Prix – Hungary – Overall Standings: Brian Jones**

They had ripped them apart. As soon as the FIA had released their statement about Tango's and Cash' sabotage, the media exploded. From everywhere news coverage erupted about how it had been quite obvious that at one point or other Tango and Cash had to fall. Their ongoing success had to be too good to be true. And now everyone had proof.

Aghast at the outpour of hate and accusations, Ray had turned to his constructor team for help. But all of a sudden Barclay MacLaren International didn't care about him anymore. They released a press statement in which they claimed that the sabotage had been devised and seen through by Ray himself. Some minor technicians and mechanics had been fired in his wake, too, but the constructor as a whole feigned ignorance and cast him out.

Once upon a time MacLaren had kept him because he was good. Because he achieved things and was favored by TV shows. But now being the center of _bad_ attention, he didn't seemed to be a worthwhile pilot to have on the team. His contract was dismissed and he was fired.

"That's outrageous!" Ray fumed and paced up and down in his vast living room. From outside the roar of a hoard of photographers and journalist could be heard. They had been camping there since the early morning.

"I know, but calm down. Getting angry like this won't do you any good," Kiki advised while she put two cups of coffee on the filigree table in front of the couch.

"They all honestly believe I cheated! Me!"

"I _know_ , Ray. But you can't change that, the media is too powerful. If they want the viewers to believe that you've cheated, they'll make it happen," Kiki intoned with a little more vehemence.

Ray turned around and looked at her. With her dark curls and brown eyes she looked just like their late mother. His heart grew heavy.

"This just isn't fair. What'll I do now?" Ray wanted to know, pacing again.

"Maybe get a hobby? Or a wife? Read a book, Ray. I don't know. But most of all: Calm down. This thing'll blow over."

Ray snorted. "I don't need a hobby, Formula One is my hobby."

With a sigh Kiki replied, "Oh no, Formula One is your life."

"See!" Ray said triumphantly but them added with sudden realization, "They can't take that away from me."

"Oh Ray," Kiki said, got up and took his hands in hers. "Right now they've taken it away from you, but you'll get it back. Just stay low for a while, enjoy the free time and in two years you'll be racing in the Championship again."

"Two years!" Ray exclaimed.

"What do you think? Media has a long memory. But you'll manage, I gotta run now," Kiki said and kissed him on the cheek.

"What? Where?"

"To my test drive. My constructor called me and said the FIA have approved of our test driving schedule, I can't miss that," Kiki explained and went to the wardrobed and shrugged on her leather jacket.

"You can't go! What if the guy who sabotaged me will come for you, too? You could crash," Ray protested.

"Ray, please," Kiki pushed her sun glasses up her nose. "I doubt that the guy who sabotaged you'll be interested in a place in Formula Three. And anyway, just because you can't race doesn't mean I can't. Just grab a beer and relax!"

***

Gabe chugged down another beer and threw the can behind him, missing the bin entirely. Never having aimed for the bin at all.

The midday sun tried to worm its way through the drawn shutters but it didn't succeed. In the thus resulting gloom Gabe lounged on a huge worn out couch he never could part with. It was already well past lunchtime but Gabe hadn't bothered with it. He hadn't even bothered with breakfast. Some cold slices of yesterday's – or maybe even the day before yesterday's – pizza had sufficed. In the evening he would get some Chinese take away, he had decided. That was all he had decided to do today.

Never had he expected that his management would cast him out. The minute the media had spun the story of a golden boy going bad, they had fired him. He was bad publicity and the constructors feared retributions. They all wanted to run in the next Championship since the current one had been taken from them.

An old pal had told him that is former team had been bale to rustle up a substitute pilot to fill his empty seat. That way the Malboro Williams Honda Team would finish the Championship, but they wouldn't win.

Other than that, Gabe didn't meet much people and mostly stayed in his roomy apartment. With the stigma of being disqualified and having cheated in a Formula One race, old relations stood clear of him and there was no way of getting into any other competition.

Sighing, Gabe ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair. He wasn't sure what to do now. Racing had always been his passion, his life. Up until now. If he couldn't do that, where was the point? Sometimes he flicked trough the TV channels and wallowed in self loathing as he listened to report after report about him and Tango and their fall from grace.

Tango. What was he up to?

Of course Gabe had never cared much for the other driver, since he was an obvious threat to his title. But racing against him had been the best motivation he had ever had. And besides, Gabe just loved to ruffle the other man's feathers. Where Gabe was laid back and impulsive, Tango was focused and thoroughly planned. Every press conference had ended in a pissing contest – not a literal one since Gabe was sure Tango wasn't up for it – and a battle of words.

Gabe grinned at the memory. He was sure that someday he would be able to race against Tango once more. If he could only get back into racing.

***

To get back into racing was a proposition that had hit Ray out of nowhere. The Championship of 1986 had been run without any further disturbances, Brian Jones had come out on top and the next training season already loomed ahead. Due to Ray's dishonorable dismissal, he hadn't had any chance to get into any other racing sport and tried to stay clear of all media coverage about it. So for a lack of anything better to do, he had focused more intensely on his work-out routine.

Sweating and disheveled he had returned to his living room just as the phone rang. Since Ray didn't have anymore management that took his calls and organized his appointments, his own landline rang continuously. Mostly with far too inquisitive journalists.

But this time a woman had been on the phone and proposed to him in a very curt and businesslike manner and before he realized it, he had agreed to meet her and her staff come next week. That was one week before the official sign-up for the next World Championship was due. Everything sounded legit but still, Ray remained wary.

It was with that caution that Ray entered a dingy building sitting on the premises of what appeared to be an abandoned airstrip. In the distance he could make out a cluster of other barracks and huge hangars but right now he had only eyes for –

"Cash?!"

In the revealed hallway Gabriel Cash lounged about the only chair set next to a door labeled 'office' and fiddled with a baseball cap.

Cash looked up and a brilliant white grin split his face, "Well, if that isn't Ray Tango himself. An honor! You even dressed up for the occasion."

"Wish I could say the same," Ray replied and self-consciously rightened the fit of his suit-jacket. All this work-out had left him with more muscle than he had during the Championship and now his clothes were a little tighter.

The same applied to Cash but for different reasons. Grinning, Ray noted that Cash had put on some weight, too, and not the muscle kind.

"That hurt! I always imagined you'd look at me with a little more awe after I cut you down to size in the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve," Cash quipped and unfurled himself out of the rackety chair with something that could only be described with 'swagger'.

"That was a stroke of luck. When I ran you down to the ground in Austria back in '84 I did that with technique and style. _That_ was worthy of awe. I can only look upon you with disdain," Ray scoffed and un-zipped Cash' well worn leather jacket, spraying flakes everywhere.

Cash's broadening grin enunciated his dimples even more and he looked like an underwear ad come alive.

"Would you look upon me with awe if I wore something slightly … more exciting?" Cash inquired with a lascivious grin.

"Dream on."

"No don't dream on and haul your asses into my office," a sudden voice cut through their bickering.

Taken by surprise, Cash whirled around and Ray looked over his shoulder at an old woman with a shock of greying hair on top of her head.

"I'm sorry ma'm, but aren't you a little too old to be the good looking secretary?" Cash wanted to know and winked at Ray as if this was their private joke.

"Well, you're right about one thing, I ain't no secretary so move along," she said and ushered them inside.

Ray only raised an eyebrow at her curious accent and manner. As he passed her in the doorway he noticed that she only came up to his shoulder and that her face was deeply tanned and wrinkled. Over the white tee shirt tucked into her jeans she wore a battered racing jacket with a familiar emblem Ray couldn't place.

Inside the stuffy office Ray took a reluctant seat alongside Cash who already occupied one of the chairs in front of a huge wooden desk.

"So, who're we talking to, then?" Cash asked and leaned forward as the woman took her place behind the desk.

"The name's Margaret Willis. Maggie for short," she said and met Cash with a gaze as hard as iron.

"Hold on, you're _the_ Margaret Willis? From Australia who won the Championship of '65?" Ray exclaimed as a far away bell in his mind rang.

"Wait, wait," the other man cut in. "You're telling me that she's a Formula One pilot?"

Maggie snorted, "You do know that there are women in racing, right?"

"Sure I know that!" Cash huffed. "It's just I'm surprised is all. Aren't your surprised, Tango? Tango?"

Ray tensed a little bit and tried not to meet Cash' querying, blue eyed stare.

"I don't think he would be surprised. His sister races too, doesn't she?" Maggie stated.

Ray heaved a sigh, righted his glasses and gave in, "As much as I hate to admit it, but yes she does."

Suddenly Cash went upright in his chair. "What?! Wait, wait, wait, you're telling me, you have like a sister, a _female_ sister, that races?" A mischievous gleam appeared in his eyes.

"And she does not only race, she is also the current Formula 3 champion," Maggie explained with a knowing smile.

And that was it. Cash burst out in raucous laughter. "I can't believe it! Maybe you should've let her drive the last Championship, then your team might've had a chance of winning against me."

"We had a chance against you, because I was wining!" Ray spat and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Oh-con-trer-ey … er, I was winning!" Cash replied with equal fervor.

"Will you two shut up and listen?" Maggie cut in. "You _both_ didn't win, remember? Because you were framed."

Ray went silent and turned back to Maggie. Cash next to him did the same, his face an expression of utter surprise. The small woman awarded them with a gaze that said 'I told you so' more than words could and folded her wrinkled hands neatly on top of the table.

"How–" Ray began but stopped. He didn't know what to say.

"How do I know that? It's rather simple when you think about it logically. But then, the press never does," Margaret explained. "You two have been racing since what, ten years? And all of a sudden you are found out with cheating after a highly successful career? It's very unlikely that you two were able to cheat for such a long time in a row without being found out eventually. And anyway, it's highly suspicious that you two were disqualified at the same time!"

"You're one to speak. Weren't you disqualified from a Championship in '67?" Ray interjected but then the penny dropped.

"I was framed, too. By some idiot who thought women in racing wasn't a thing to accept," Maggie confirmed, her voice tinged with sadness that was too proud to show itself.

"So let me get that straight," Cash had finally found his annoying voice again. "You're offering to take us to the next World Championship so you can … what, take some kind of revenge on that guy? To show people that women can race after all? Because I sure as hell won't be wearing any drag to make that point."

"He is simple, isn't he?" Maggie asked Ray.

"And you only noticed that now?" Ray replied.

"Oi, I am right here!" Cash fumed.

"I'm not going to let you race in drag, drongo. I just want to win the title as a constructor. After I was disqualified I never got back to racing as such, but I made myself quite a name as a constructor in Australia and now I'm aiming for some international prizes," Maggie said and leaned back in her chair, eyeing them through the motes of dust gliding through the badly lit office.

"Hah, well that is going to cost you," Cash grinned and rubbed his hands in exaggeration.

Ray rubbed a hand through his eyes instead. It hurt how stupid Cash could be. Taking pity on the other man, Ray said, "It's not going to cost her anything, dim wit. I take it that you're as desperate to get back into racing as I am, so we'll probably do about anything. That is our only chance to get back at Jones."

Maggie nodded, "That's right. I'll pay for your super licenses, I'll sign you up and do any paperwork that there is and most importantly, I'll give you two cars to race with."

"I'm not going to team up with Tango for no money! No matter how much I'd like to crush that asshole Jones," Cash exclaimed but his defiance diminished by the second. Same as Ray he was on withdrawal.

"I can imagine more pleasurable things than to work with you, too," Ray mumbled. He had gotten his hopes up when the offer first reached him. But now having met Cash it was obvious that he would never be able to work with him. That guy was a twerp.

"Would you two stop? You're like an old married couple. Your licenses are only suspended for his year, next year we'll be able to apply for new ones if you keep partaking in smaller races. I'll take care about that. Next to that I'll provide you with everything you need for that, machines, accommodation, food, the lot. You, on the other hand, will work for me for free and when we win the title, we'll split the prize money between us."

Silence descended on the small room. Ray knew that this was about the only chance to redeem himself and to do the thing he lived for, Formula One racing. Cash' face held utter defeat and the way he sagged on the chair made it clear that all fight in him was gone. Then suddenly he looked up and a strange expression crept across his face and he grinned.

"It's gonna be great, won't it, _Tango_?"

"I have no doubt, _Cash_."

"So it's a deal then," Maggie stated and clapped her hands with a rakish mirth. "Next year, we'll be racing under the name Quokka Racing Ltd. and we're gonna show them."

Ray furrowed his brow. "Quokka? What's that supposed to mean?"

Cash turned towards him with a condescending smile. "Don't you know? It's those tiny, stubby kangaroos. Rather fitting if I look at you."

Ray scoffed, "Don't you mean fitting for _you_ , because I assume that is where you got your hairstyle from."

"Pipe down, you two sound like some aging biddies," Maggie cut in.

"Well anyway, it's a fitting name for squat, stupid furballs. Not for a serious racing team," Ray said dejectedly.

Maggie shrugged her small shoulders. "I like them and they are very popular in Perth. So you better keep your thoughts to yourself. Oh and Streets will be sponsoring us."

"And what business is Streets? A quokka rescuing organization?" Cash quipped.

"Don't you know? It's the brand that makes Golden Gaytime," Maggie answered.

Ray sat up straight. "Golden _what_?!"

Maggie seemed genuinely surprised and raised her eyebrows which wrinkled her face even more. "The ice cream Golden Gaytime? Don't you have that in the US?"

Cash mumbled cringingly, "I doubt that this is anything anyone anywhere _ever_ has."


	3. Training 1986-1987 - Part I

******Winter Break – 4 Months to Championship**

And Gabe had been right, they were not in for a golden gaytime anywhere soon. As it turned out the airstrip where they had met Maggie a week ago had been her designated base for their training through the winter months.

The old airstrip was accompanied by some slightly renovated barracks that were supposed to be Gabe's and Tango's accommodations for the near future. Each of them had an own room and access to a joint community shower. Gabe grinned as he thought about showering with Ray. He loved making that stuck up bastard uncomfortable and shared showers were just the thing.

On their first day at the base, Gabe and Tango strolled the grounds and had a look at the transformed hangars. Contrary to their previous fears the hangars had been renovated and refurnished quite thoroughly and the propped up engines looked promising. They had even made the airstrip into a makeshift race track for testing and all the mechanics and technicians shared the barracks closest to the hangars.

"Could be worse," Gabe said and buried his hands deeper into his leather jacket.

"Had better still," Tango replied as they walked along the race track.

"The posh one, aren't you? I though you said to me we had to make sacrifices." Gabe eyed Tango once more. The last time they had met in Maggies office he had worn a fancy suit and accompanied by his glasses he had looked rather lawyer-rish. But today he wore a black leather jacket and dark sunglasses against the autumn glare. Overall the stuck-up appearance had vanished. Looked better on him by miles.

"Sacrifices in constructing company, yes. But not in human rights."

Gabe laughed, slung an arm around Tango and shook him.

"Aren't you forgetting that we're not humans? We're pilots!"

***

Being pilots in training meant that they had to stay at the base camp 24/7. Their rooms were only a step up the gutter but Ray tried to make the most of it.

Somewhere three weeks into training Kiki had visited him. Luckily Ray had been able to keep her from Cash' sight. Not that Kiki would ever fall for a guy like Cash, but he didn't want to take any chances either. In Ray's opinion the man who would marry Kiki still had to be born. She only laughed and rolled her eyes at that. On some occasions she would correct him by saying 'or woman' which made Ray fuss even more.

On her visit she brought him more clothes and furniture. If you could call it that. Now his rickety desk sported his favorite office lamp. She had even brought him his neck pillow. With that propped up against the whitewashed wall, Ray thumbed through the newspaper.

Just as he was getting into stocks and shares the door was flung wide with a crash.

"Hiya!" Cash hollered and stumbled into the room.

"What on earth is wrong with you? Beside the usual knacks I mean," Ray groaned and threw his paper aside.

"Nothing's wrong with me! I'm fine. More 'n fine!" Cash grinned broadly and heaved a six pack of beer into the shine of the table lamp that was the room's only light.

"You're drunk!" Ray fumed and got out of bed. "And we're supposed to cut the carbohydrates from our diet!"

Giggling, Cash flopped down onto Ray's vacated bed and began tearing at the cardboard packaging.

"Well, they certainly cut the _car_ from our diet. The only thing we've been doing the whole week is jogging along the air strip. But you with your limited sense of fun wouldn't find it boring at all," Cash rambled on and opened two beers and offered one to Ray. "Bottoms up!"

"I'm not drinking that and you can get out of my bed this instant."

"Aw, c'mon Tango. We've been rivals for ten years now, we might as well make the best of the situation."

Ray huffed and sat down in the metal chair facing his bed. "You do know that our situation is being stuck with each other against our will, right? We're not making the best of it, when we keep seeing each other every waking minute."

Cash feigned hurt and put the back of his hand to his forehead. "Aw man, that hurt! It's the soberness speaking, I'm sure."

With that he extended the beer once again and winked at Ray.

Ray wanted to refuse but found that he couldn't. Something in Cash' carefree attitude made him succumb to his inner temptation and he took the beer. When Cash had his mind set on pestering Ray, he might as well enjoy it. Or at least numb his sensations with alcohol.

"You're incorrigible," Ray mumbled around the opening of the bottle as he took a good swig out of it.

Laughing, Cash sunk even further into Ray's bed, resulting in spreading his golden mane into a halo. "I might be. But you sure as hell aren't. I just made you break your self-control."

"Of course that was your doing," Ray replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice as his eyes moved over Cash' sprawled body with disdain. That guy was sitting in his beed with his street clothes! "I never lost my self-control. That's why I'm the better racer out of the two of us."

"Self-control is completely useless on the track. You need to feel the speed, the car. The _race_!" Cash chugged down half of his beer.

"Feeling things might be very well but you need a plan to win. You have to figure out each pilot's weakness so you can use it against them," Ray argued and began to feel lightheaded. Being abstinent from drink for so long made him susceptible.

Cash' blue eyes narrowed as if the sparse light was blinding him. "But where's the fun in that? All ... all this planing and thinking ahead. It's just so stiff!"

"Without a plan you'd be completely headless and make some horrible decisions. Well I doubt you'd be capable of making any other kind of decision," Ray sniffed.

With an even more slurred voice Cash countered, "Everything I've done so far in my life I've done without a plan. Racing is like falling in love! You can't plan things out."

Put on the spot, Ray just raised his eyebrow and emptied his beer. He'd never really fallen in love with anyone. And certainly not in the way Cash had described. Racing might be Ray's life and love but he had never fallen head over heels into it. It had been a hard and thoroughly planned way.

Surfacing from the sudden spot of melancholia, Ray looked back at Cash. The other man had been watching him with a weird half smile.

"If you weren't such a stuck up prick we could actually ... you know, have some fun," Cash said, his eyelids heavy.

Offhandedly Ray answered, "I don't think so. That would be very distracting."

"So, you find me and my good looks distracting?"

"Your quite horrible looks, yes. They give me the creeps."

But that reply was completely lost on Cash. The blond haired man had begun to sag slightly to the right with his eyes closed and lips parted. He had fallen asleep.

"Jesus fucking ..." but Ray didn't get any further, every ounce ofannoyance left him in a sigh.

Seeing Cash cradling the bottle close to his chest while snoring into the cushion was actually rather a ... cute image.

Shooting out of his chair Ray tried to get rid of the though. Of course he was still annoyed. That idiot was fast asleep in _his_ bed! But carrying him out of there and into his own room without waking him up wasn't possible. And somehow waking him seemed wrong to Ray.

Giving in, for the second time today, Ray gathered his clothes and another beer and retired to Cash' room. The huge mess spreading everywhere didn't bother him anymore. All the fucks he would have given had drowned in the beer.

Missing his sleeping cushion, Ray covered himself with the offendingly patterned bedsheets doused in an appalling odor of macho deodorant. Even without Cash' help Ray was sure to be in for a troubled night.

***

The following days were rather troubling for Gabe. Back in the day when he was still reigning champion and training for the next season, he had never gotten up before ten. His manager and constructor admonished him for it, but he had said if they didn't want to win the title, he would get up at six no problem.

Today Gabe nearly rolled out of bed around 8:30 because thunder rolled in the distance and set a glass of water clattering over the metallic surface of the desk.

Gradually the thunder turned into the rumble of a well groomed engine racing along a tar track.

Realization hit him like a brick and in a tangle of sheets he fell out of the bed completely. White sheets. Of course white sheets! This wasn't his room. It was Tango's!

He had only meant to share one or two beers with the other pilot yesterday evening, but he had drunk some five or six with the ground staff before he even got to Tango's room. Or maybe eight as his throbbing head reminded him.

Gathering the sheets around him Gabe looked about. Tango was no where in sight. Then he spied the clock.

"Aw shit, man. Shit!" He cursed and dashed out of the room.

Maggie had told them in their frequent briefings that Gabe and Tango had to loose weight. Either one of them for different reasons; Gabe had gotten thicker around the middle and Tango had put on too much muscle. The pilot was often one component of weight that could be reduced, so that the mechanics had more room to equip the car. Every ounce counted.

In those meetings Maggie had made it abundantly clear that she expected results. She was all in all a very hearty person, Gabe noted. After training each day she stayed on a little longer, talked with them about her experiences in driving, the upcoming races and even personal stuff and the occasional joke. But when the subject turned to the Championship, her eyes got hard as steel.

Gabe knew at least one other person who's intentions were hard as steel when the Championship was involved. Tango. That guy got up each day at five to run his laps, shower, take breakfast and then go on with training before studying recent races and techniques. He was like a maniac. Gabe on the other hand liked to get up, maybe shower, have some breakfast and then take a haphazard glance around the gym. So each day when Gabe crawled out of bed, he would meet Tango in the hallway of their accommodations.

Groaning, Gabe put on his track suit and carefully stepped outside the old barrack into the fresh morning air. Somewhere on the track a group of mechanics were milling about a chassis. Then he spied a lone figure in the distance gradually jogging up to him. Tango had finished yet another round on the strip. A little twinge of uncertainty settled in Gabe's gut. Why was he afraid of Tango's reprimands. Gabe had been training like that all this years. And apparently his routine worked.

"How many laps around the world did you take already?" Gabe wanted to know and bumped his fist playfully against Tango's shoulder.

Suddenly the dark haired man whirled around and swatted the hand away.

"Stuff it, Cash," Tango hissed, contempt tingeing his tone.

"Oi, what's the problem, man?" Gabe wanted to know. He didn't like being snapped at.

"What's the problem? What is _your_ problem, Cash?!" Tango fumed and jabbed an accusing finger in his direction. "Why don't you deliver? You're lax and … distracted."

"I am distracted? Running along the track at 5am in the morning like some freak, not noticing how hard you push yourself. Now _that_ I call distracted. We're us! We both won numerous Championships. We'll win this one easily," Gabe replied, trying for compromise.

At that Tango only scoffed and ran a hand through his sweat slicked hair. "Yeah sure, as if."

Getting uneasy at Tango's tone, Gabe reached out a hand but stopped midway. "Hey, what … what do you mean by that?"

Ray threw his arms wide and sighed, "Oh c'mon, you don't honestly believe that we'll be able to compete with the other teams while we're in this no-name outfit? We could start in a soapbox car for as much chances we have to really win the Championship."

"Are you telling me, you don't believe in this?" Gabe pressed on.

"Course I don't. And seeing how much you believe in it, I don't have to anymore."

"Yeah, I believe in it, but what is wrong with that? It's our only chance to get back into racing, don't you want that?"

Suddenly Tango's fire was back, "What do you think?! Of course I want to get back but … only believing in it won't get us anywhere."

And then the penny dropped. Tango. The determined, hell-bent-on-winning-Tango was overcompensating. He was afraid of loosing because of their current situation. And Gabe, as his team mate, had let him down.

Stunned, Gabe began, "Well … you're right. I'm sorry. You're putting your ass out there while I am lounging about, dreaming about how we'll win. That doesn't achieve anything."

This time he reached out and squeezed Tango's shoulder. The other man's eyes flew wide for a second before his usual sneer took its accustomed place.

"Ugh, stop getting all soppy on me. Let's … let's just focus on the tasks at hand – together mind you – And see where we've come in the next two weeks time. Alright?"

"Right your are … mom," Gabe laughed with relief.

"Don't call me that."

"But you act like one. With your sister, with me …"

"I think you don't know what a mother is, Cash. _You_ were raised in a barn."

Following Tango to the gym, Gabe told himself that they would go a long way.

***

Ray didn't get any further than the kitchen. After working out in the gym with Cash, he wanted nothing more than a hot shower and his newspaper. But then the idea of a freshly brewed cup of coffee along with said paper sprang to his mind. So instead of heading for the showers with Cash, Ray made a stop in the kitchen to check the supplies.

The kitchen was exactly what you expected of an old airstrip. Every cupboard appeared to be made out of pressed metal, painted a ghastly olive color. And to his utter horror they held only some cheap coffee powder and a coffee machine with filter bags. He groaned, longing for his Delonghi.

"Already loosing faith?" A cranky voice asked him from the door.

Turning around Ray replied, "Never had any faith to start with because I know Australians don't know squat about coffee."

Maggie huffed and walked past him and began setting up the machine. "I know that all of that brown stuff taste the same and is full of caffein. Not something you should much indulge in as a pilot."

Ray sighed and leaned against the counter. "I know that. Actually I never drank any coffee while I was in training. But after recent events I figured ... well."

"Cash's rubbed off on you," Maggie chuckled and winked at him with her impish mirth.

"I've been working my ass off," Ray exclaimed but Maggie stopped him with a raised hand and a grin.

"I know that. In fact you've worked so much, it's enough for the both of you."

"I had to. That nutjob of a pilot didn't do anything," Ray grumbled.

Filling up two chipped mugs Maggie replied, "Well, maybe he didn't do anything because he didn't saw the need. You've done both your jobs."

Ray stood thunderstruck.

"You do know that you two are a team and need to do everything in equal measure, right?"

"Guess so," Ray admitted. Maybe she was right. Never once in the past weeks had he woken up Cash for training. He just figured if Cash wasn't up at 5.30 am, he didn't care.

"Let me tell you about Harold," Maggie said, sipped her coffee and pulled a face.

"Sure, why not. Was he your one true love?"

"Is, you mean," Maggie corrected him. "He's my husband. Currently watching rugby on the telly in our living room back home in Australia. Or he better be."

"I can already feel the love story coming on," Ray quipped.

"Yair, zip it and listen to the wisdom I'm about to dispense on you. When I was starting off in Formula One, often times the only woman in the whole race, he never held me back. Each decision I made, no matter how reckless and daunting, he supported me. Up until I burned myself up after the sabotage. I raved and I ranted, but I had lost. And then, only then, did he step up to me and said: 'Maggie, you might not like it, but I'll take it from here'. Before that I had carried all the burdens of my job, not once thinking about sharing them. With him as a team I became twice as good."

Downing the last of his coffee, Ray only said, "Well, Cash isn't my spouse. God, I'm grateful for that, he'd look terrible in a dress."

"He doesn't have to be. He's your teammate. Maybe that's even more important."

Not knowing what to say to that, Ray only stared at Maggie's wizened old face with her eyes clear and flashing like emeralds.

"Anyways, I must be getting back," Maggie put her cup in the sink. "And if it cheers you up, you're already down on the muscle, getting leaner every week."

With that she patted the back of her hand against Ray's flat stomach and left the kitchen.

Against his better judgement, Ray blushed and pushed his glasses higher up his nose. Maggie and her insights were a force of nature to be reckoned with.


	4. Training 1986-1987 - Part II

******Winter Break – 2 Months to Championship**

Media rage equaled a thunderstorm. You never knew when the bolt of lightning was bound to strike, but when it did, it waged chaos. Out of nowhere and months after Gabe's and Tango's dishonorable dismissal from the Championship of '86 news coverage picked on them yet again.

At first it were only minor articles about their dismissal. But when Maggie had managed to get them new super licenses for the Championship of '87, television went crazy. Everyone speculated why the FIA would allow them back into racing after their dishonorable conduct. Already vile accusations of new sabotage plans were discussed all over the US with Brian Jones, as the current Champion, at the top of it.

Despite having limited access to TV or radio while on training, Gabe and Ray had managed to catch some snippets of a talk show when they hung out with the ground staff and mechanics in the hangars. Of course every single one of them was on their side and cursed the journalists and reporters but still, Gabe's and Tango's tempers had been dampened.

Their daily routine of jogging along the airstrip had turned into a race, their off-hand talks under shower had turned to a sullen silence.

The first silver lining to raise their spirits was a scheduled test drive with older cars from Maggie's team of constructors, since they hadn't an official approval to use the actual cars.

For the test drive one of the empty hangars had been cleared and made into a makeshift track. That way Gabe and Tango wouldn't be tempted to take the cars to their maximum speeds and thus eliminating the unnecessary threat to their healths. Gabe was eager for some real racing after months of abstinence and had moaned about it. But no can do.

"Let's see how good you are still. You've been lagging the past days at jogging," Gabe called over to Tango who was zipping up his bright red racing suit.

"I just gave you and your horrible physical condition a fair chance," Tango threw back, a hard undertone creeping into his voice.

Flicking Tango the finger, Gabe crawled into the car and tried to relax. He had been tense the past weeks and couldn't help it. The media made him feel like a looser. As if he had something to proof. Having the immaculate Tango in front of his face every damn minute didn't exactly help. Especially since Gabe had begun to put on weight again after loosing so much of it.

Maggie waved a clipboard at them and explained what they should do.

"Ok guys, this is not a race! I just want you to get a feel for our construction. Those chassis are about two and a half years old and will have a slightly more sluggish response while steering. We've fixed that problem of the steering column in our current construction, as you very soon will see for yourself. Right. Do some easy laps, no pissing contests. And off you go!"

With that Gabe and Tango fired up their engines and shot out of the makeshift pit stops. The first two laps were easy going with both cars staying close to each other.

Through his visor Gabe spotted Tango on his right hand side speeding up. Slowly the second car was overtaking him. First the hood drew level with his tail, then both cockpits aligned.

 _That asshole is trying to overtake me,_ Gabe fumed internally.

Turning his head as far as he could, he saw Tango peering back at him, his face completely covered by his helmet, too. He speed up.

Gabe rammed his foot down and floored the pedal. With the usual draw of acceleration he sped past Tango and left him behind. Grinning fiercely to himself he aimed for the upcoming curve just as Tango took up the chase.

He didn't even hear the crash. The only thing Gabe felt was the tremendous jolt that went through the car as it was flung sideways along the track with Tango's car shoving it along. Everything was a blur and his stomach tightened up, making him gag.

When the cars came to a halt, Gabe managed to crawl out of the cockpit with trembling hands. Tango did the same.

With a viscous throw Tango got rid of his helmet, his tanned face red and beaded with sweat. "Are you blind or what?! You didn't stay in your lane!"

Getting rid of his own helmet the same way, Gabe stepped up to Tango, making sure to conceal his trembling legs after the crash.

"Blind?! This is a god damn racetrack mister, I was overtaking you!" Gabe yelled.

"You were cutting me!" Tango grabbed a fistful of Gabe's overall.

Gabe pushed back and for some moments they just grabbed for each other's throat. A punch to his face only missed Gabe by inches as he flung himself against Tango's more muscular frame, aiming to unearth him. Through all of that Maggie's hollers were just an unintelligible noise in the distance.

When they both stumbled to the ground they actually managed to land some hits. Gabe gave Tango a knock around the cheek while Tango managed to split Gabe's lip with an upper cut.

Between gushes of blood Gabe spat, "You crashed the cars! You sure as hell ain't no professional racer that's for sure."

Squinting through his bruising eye, Tango hissed, "And who are you to call yourself a professional racer?! Your daddy practically bought you the license!"

"Just because my daddy's rich doesn't mean I didn't had to fight for my career! And I mean it's not like you're some street urchin with poor parents?!"

Suddenly all struggle left Tango and he just sank back, his dark eyes hard. Then with a rough shove he dislodged Gabe, who had been sitting across his chest, and got up and stomped away.

"What the fuck, dude?!" Gabe called after Tango's receding form.

"You pair of idiots!"

The sudden shout roused Gabe from his gloom and he turned only to see Maggie's enraged face the second before she swatted his head lightly with the clipboard.

"Ouch!"

"Ouch you too, you dill! You two crashed the cars," Maggie snapped and looked at the bent chassis. At least they weren't beyond repair.

"It's not my fault! Tango didn't watch where he was going."

"I said it was not supposed to be a race, of course he didn't expect you to cut him."

Getting to his feet at last and rolling his shoulder to get rid of the stinging pain, Gabe replied, "Only because he began overtaking me. He wanted a fight. And now he's slunk away like some beaten dog. Can't even fight things out the real way."

Maggie looked at him with consternation, her wrinkled featured hard.

"You two are incorrigible. Maybe instead of shouting you should _talk_. Talk and listen. Both your egos are so big, you can't even see each other clearly," she muttered as the mechanics began detangling the cars behind her.

Gabe scoffed. "Why should I listen to him? Does him good to be cut to size once in a while. He's carrying and ego around with him that's as big as a dinosaur."

"He's a knocker, sure, but clearly your ego is just as big, otherwise you'd see that you two fight for the same cause, don't you?"

"Just because we both want to win, doesn't mean we have to like each other."

Maggie shook her head. "Maybe not, but it would help. At least you could try working with each other. We've only got two more months."

Unzipping his racing suit, Gabe shrugged his shoulders. "I would but apparently I'm not too good of a driver. Just because my dad was a famous racer doesn't mean I didn't achieve anything on my own."

"If you don't want people to think that way, maybe you should go easy on that swagger of yours. And anyway you took the same cheap shot at his background, too," Maggie countered and went over to the mechanics, hands in her hair with frustration.

Confused, Gabe looked after her tiny form. What did she mean by that? As if Tango had been ... Stopping his train of though Gabe realized he didn't know anything about Tango's background. But the way he dressed and held himself, surely his family would have been some ... rich Italian mafia people?!

Turning on his heels, Gabe ran after Tango. Wherever he had gone.

***

Fuming, Ray stalked along the bleak hallway leading to the showers. He was tugging and tearing at his race suit, wanting to get the sweaty thing off of his shoulders.

The training had been a disaster. First that blockhead Cash crossed him and crashed their cars, then he even mocked him for his heritage. Ray and Kiki had both fought hard to get as good at racing as they were. No one knew how difficult it was for a family with no money to get their children into a decent racing school. Money made winners.

And the way their current no-name construction team looked and their training progressed, there was not a cat's chance in hell they could win the Championship.

"Oi, Tango!"

Ray turned around and saw a breathless Cash limping up to him. The way he held himself Ray felt his own bruises mirrored. He too had taken some knocks from the crash.

Squaring his shoulders Ray snapped, "What?"

Cash came to a halt and looked at him like a golden retriever puppy that had just been unjustifiably beaten.

"Just, look, calm down: I'm sorry," he said and rubbed an awkward hand over his neck, resulting in plucking his white shirt from his unzipped overall. Ray tried not to stare at the revealed stomach.

"You should be, because you crashed the cars."

"That's not what I meant!"

Stiffening, Ray shifted his stance and raised his eyebrows. "So what did you mean?"

"Nothing man," Cash blurted angrily, then added more softly, "The ... the family thing. I didn't know. But hey! Just because my dad's a race car pilot doesn't mean my achievements aren't my own."

"Then maybe you should start and act like this whole thing is something you have to fight for, instead of just taking it for granted! All my life I had to fight to be a race car pilot. My parents had no money so I had to be good, so good that I could get a stipend. Every year I had to deliver and prove my worth, otherwise they would withdraw the money and the means of racing. I don't see how you would know anything about fighting for what you want," Ray said and then clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to tell Cash any of that. He wanted no pity.

But instead of intensifying his puppy looks, Cash bristled. "Don't you dare tell me what I know! You've no idea how hard it is to have a father who is one of the greatest racers in all of F1 history and expects you to be the same. Since I was four years old I had to take racing classes, no matter if I wanted or not. Luckily I took to the sport but that didn't make dad any less demanding."

Silence settled in the concrete hallway and wrapped around them. For some seconds they just stared at each other, surprised at their confessions.

Ray felt a twinge of sympathy for Cash. He'd never thought that having famous parents could be a burden. Apparently no matter what kinds of parents you had, it was always hard to live up to them.

Sighing, Ray began, "Cash, look–"

"Aw, c'mon man. We've just told each other the most embarrassing childhood stories we both had, you might as well call me Gabe," Gabe interrupted him.

Ray made a face and said, "Gabe," as if it was something disgusting he had found under his driver's seat.

"Or Gabriel. Matches my angelic looks," Gabe winked at him.

Ray laughed. "I don't think you know what angels look like ... Gabriel. You've got the looks of a guinea pig on steroids."

"Well, at least I don't look like a gorilla in a suit, _Raymond_."

Ray felt Gabe drawing level with him before bumping their shoulders together. Grinning, he thought that maybe they do had a chance. At least they were getting quite good at overcoming their differences.

***

Gabe never stood a chance. At first the leg press had appeared to be a ridiculous fitness machine once he and Ray had entered the gym for a late workout session after 8pm. Of course Ray had warned him that he wasn't up for that kind of strain yet. But Gabe put it down to one of Ray's condescending attitudes.

So wanting to prove Ray wrong, Gabe set to work. The first twenty presses he did easily, then the going got tough. After their ruined racing session Maggie had set them on a plain study and workout routine as punishment, so they both were eager to regain her respect. Gabe wouldn't stop now.

Then the twenty-fifth press came and his calf screamed in defiance.

"Aw fucking shit!" Gabe hollered and rolled out of the machine.

Ray stood some meters further down the brightly lit gym, throwing a medicine ball against the wall and catching it.

"Pipe down, Gabe! I'm trying to concentrate here," he yelled back.

"Ugh. Yeah fine. You go on while I– ouch! Die here on my own!"

Gabe's calf had contorted with a serious cramp and pain pierced through his body. With frantic nudges he tried to ease his trembling leg but he only managed to make it worse.

Whimpering, he threw his head back against the linoleum lined floor.

"Let me see that, dimwit," a sudden voice cut through his groans and gentle hands pried his fingers off.

Looking up, Gabe saw Ray bending over and scrutinizing him through his glasses. Surrendering to Ray's administrations, Gabe let himself be pushed into position. He trusted Ray.

"Back straight to the floor. Extent your left leg, good," Ray ordered, then sat down and took hold of the cramping right limb. With unnerving precision Ray found the muscle that had contorted and dug down his fingers, brushing out the cramp.

Gabe moaned as pain and relief flooded through his body in equal measure. Keeping his eyes closed, he focussed on Ray's touch that steadily worked its way up and down the calf. Somehow it felt quite natural to be so close to the other man after all they had been through. Opening his eyes again, Gabe beheld Ray's stern expression, completely set on his task. In some angles Ray actually had rather pleasing looks, Gabe thought and grinned. If only ...

"It's nice to ... have you at my service," Gabe huffed between twinges of pain and winked at Ray.

Ray looked at him with a raised eyebrow and smirked. "Never knew you dreamt about me, Gabe."

"It's not that I _dream_ about you, it's more that I like to see you in this position," Gabe chuckled.

A seductive expression crept over Ray's face and he leaned down, only bare inches away from Gabe's face. "Oh you like this?" He whispered and pressed down on the cramping muscle.

Gabe yelped and Ray laughed.

Groaning, Gabe buried his face in his hands. "Not so much anymore, no siree."


	5. Training 1986-1987 - Part III

**Winter Break – 1 Week to Championship**

Ray was rather satisfied with the current situation. He and Gabe had managed to become a team more or less. Where Gabe was lax, Ray hauled him along, where Ray overshot, Gabe pulled him back. It was like two different breeds of horses chained to one carriage, you needed to find a common denominator.

Following that high, they hit another low. As it turned out no matter what technique they deployed on the track, Ray and Gabe were in each other's way.

Maggie and the mechanics had managed to repair the crashed chassis so that they could finally work on actual driving techniques, just one week short of the first Grand Prix. Certainly, as long as only one of them made all races in first place they had won the Championship. But the thought of being up against Brian Jones made Ray and Gabe wary. He had snubbed them out before so they both needed to win as much races as possible. To do that, they had to function as a well balanced team of defensive and offensive driving.

Ray was known for his defensive tactics. For as long as possible he remained close to the main bulk of drivers. Only in the final three or four laps would he start to break out and make his way to the front. This could be dangerous since the other drivers were likely to obstruct him, but it also gave him the advantage of their slipstream.

Gabe on the other hand immediately set out for the front, leaving the other drivers well behind him. He needed to be out in the open without anyone else blocking his view. That made him an easy target for overtaking but it also gave him the freedom of taking the track how he wanted.

Together they were a disaster.

Maggie had figured to make them work as a team they would need to converge in order to protect their rank and if possible, get the first two steps on the podium. In reality Ray and Gabe stuttered and veered along the track to see what the other was doing. Gabe immediately shot off, while Ray kept behind. When Ray tried to go after Gabe, Gabe had already slowed down to find Ray again. It was chaos.

Gripping the steering wheel harder than necessary, Ray tried to keep up with Gabe and to suppress his instinctive behavior of lying low. The empty track in front of him was unforgiving now that he had to navigate it alone.

A flash of red ripped him out of his wandering thoughts as Gabe's car appeared in front of him. Cursing, he veered aside and hit the breaks.

Tires screeched and rubber burnt. The car came to a sudden halt, bumping into the cardboard fencing of the track.

"Shit," Ray pressed out between is teeth and thumbed the dashboard.

"Sorry, man," a muffled voice came from behind.

Ray took off his helmet and winced at the revealed harsh glare of the neon tubes. It was already well past 11 pm and the mechanics and even Maggie had gone home. The training hangar was empty and silent.

"No problem," Ray sighed and crawled out of the cockpit, his whole racing suit clung to him like a second skin. He was sweating dreadfully.

"I tried to cut down on my speed but I think it was too sudden?" Gabe wanted know as he joined Ray at his car. Gabe was equally sweaty and his lighter skin deeply flushed.

Laughing tiredly, Ray said, "Same with me. Tried to pick up on speed but too quick."

"Jeez, why can't we get it right?" Gabe leaned onto the hood of the car.

"Search me."

Ray eyed Gabe out of the corner of his eye. It was rare for the blond haired man to be that subdued. But what could you expect of a four hour training session with no results to speak of. Gloom didn't suit Gabe's friendly and beaming features and a sudden pang of sadness jolted Ray's heart.

"Tell you what, after a beer or two things'll look different," Ray suggested and even nudged Gabe with his elbow.

An impish gleam appeared in Gabe's eyes and he grinned. "I thought we were cutting the carbs?"

"After this session they can be happy that I'm not cutting anything else. And anyway, I saw Tyler setting a cooler out for us. Without Maggie noticing it."

"Ah, at least one friend on the track."

Slowly they walked back to the small wooden bank set near to the hangars side door, leading off into a hallway connecting them to the barracks.

Sighing and groaning they sat down, opened their beers and stared off into nothing. The bench was a narrow and rickety affair so Gabe and Ray set close, shoulders touching, sticky with sweat.

"I'm done for today," Gabe yawned and stretched, resulting in sliding further down the wall on which he leaned.

Ray hummed in agreement but stopped when a weight settled on his shoulders. Gabe had fallen asleep, his eyes closed, sweat trickling down his face. At first Ray wanted to push him off but the other man's weight felt comfortable and grounded him. Instead he freed his trapped arm, reached around Gabe and gingerly held the icy can against his brow.

"That's the stuff," Gabe murmured.

"Yeah," Ray agreed huskily, gave in to his exhaustion and leaned back against Gabe.

***

With a little grunt Gabe managed to push himself off of the wall he was using as means of support. He wasn't sure how long he and Ray had dozed in the hangar but the hallway leading to the common showers was flooded with a steely blue moon light.

They both hadn't really mentioned their dozing off together arm in arm. Training had left them exhausted and quite drawn in on themselves.

"C'mon, you can't have to stop again. I want to get out of these clothes," Ray groused, but there wasn't much conviction behind it.

"Yeah, yeah. Can't wait to see me in the nude, can you," Gabe chuckled listlessly and ambled after the angular silhouette of the dark haired man.

The lights in the showers were as unforgiving as the ones in the hangar. It was a harsh neon light that gave everything a flat, bleak look. Silently, Gabe and Ray stood under a shower each and kept to their own thoughts.

Carefully, Gabe cast an eye over to Ray who had braced his hands against the tiled wall and hung his head into the spray. It was quite unusual for the other man to be so at ease with Gabe in such close quarters. Even nodding off on him hadn't set Ray running. The gorilla in a suit turned mellow.

Unsure why the other man had such a pull on him Gabe turned his head away. Maybe it was their situation, their dependance on each other. But could it also be Ray's overall willful character and sharp wit, that matched Gabe's own so well? Or was it the way he always wanted to outsmart Gabe? Whatever the reason, Ray felt like a missing part to the machine that Gabe was. Ray set Gabe running.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Gabe, but ugliness isn't washable," Ray called from the lockers. "So get out of the shower."

"Well, you would know, having tried it yourself," Gabe answered and went to change.

When they reached their rooms Ray and Gabe came to a halt and looked at each other. A little awkwardly maybe.

Today's training had been a set back. They both felt it. But Gabe didn't want to be put out by it. A lot of things had worked out already.

"We've come this far, didn't we?" Gabe offered with a weak smile.

"Not so far as to share a room, so please don't make any advances," Ray replied. He too wore a tired grin that failed to convince.

"Only because you wouldn't know how to say 'no'."

"Yeah sure," Ray chuckled. Then his gaze lingered on Gabe for a moment longer. And it was with a touch of longing that he tore it away and went inside. "Good night, Gabe."

***

It wasn't long now. In one week the World Championship of 1987 would begin. Media was already running hot with new assumptions and theories about how Ray and Gabe would fare. All eyes were on them and their new constructor. They even had begun to dig up stories about Maggie and her own record of being discharged twenty years ago.

Despite those troubling reports Ray and Gabe remained focussed. They had managed to devise a racing technique that would allow them to use the advantages of both their driving.

Next to that it had turned out that spending time together furthered the good results. Working out and racing were very well, but getting to know the other personally helped them to understand each other on the track. Ray was quite astonished how natural it felt to lounge about with Gabe in the evenings. Granted, at some point his non-stop yap became tedious, but on other occasion it helped Ray banish his brooding thoughts. It was astonishing how cheerful Gabe was despite everything and Ray somehow … admired him for it?

Even Maggie had commented on it. And happy as she was with their progress, she proposed to throw a small finishing party for their training session. Once the Championship had started and they had to jet around the world there wouldn't be much time for celebrations.

A sudden ring from the telephone pulled Ray out of his thoughts.

"That's for me," he said and got up from the bed where he had been reading the paper. "And get your feet down."

Gabe looked up. He sat on the metallic chair with his shoed feet propped up on the table while cleaning his helmet thoroughly.

"Yesterday you said you didn't mind," Gabe replied and rubbed on a particularly hard spot.

"I was drunk then."

Gabe laughed.

Sighing, Ray went to the phone and picked up. "Finally."

"What do you mean 'finally'? We said we'd phone at eight," Kiki sniffed but then added immediately, "How's everything?"

"Fine. It won't be long now until April 12th."

"Yeah, the GP of Brazil is just around the corner ... I won't be able to watch you there. But after the 26th of July I'll follow you to each and every race," Kiki said and Ray heard her grin. She lived for racing.

He missed seeing her. In the four months of training he had only seen her about two times and they rarely telephoned. She too was caught up in training and racing.

"Hey Kiki, how about you join us for our little party here on the air base tomorrow? Maggie suggested we celebrate our successful training," Ray offered.

"Miss me already, big brother?" Kiki teased.

"No, I'm anxious to see you because God know's what you're up to when I'm not around," Ray grumbled.

"Alright, alright. See you tomorrow then. Bye!"

Ray hung up and went back inside where Gabe already eyed him with his startling blue stare.

"Who's that?" He wanted to know.

Having invited Kiki over, Ray couldn't really hide her, so he gave in. "My sister. She's coming over for the party."

"Oh yes, the racing one!" Gabe exclaimed and sat up, a grin on his face. "And has she, you know, racing looks?"

Ray huffed, disgruntled that Gabe took such an interest in her. "Not that it's any of your business, but look at me. That should answer your question."

Grinning wider, Gabe said, "Hope she's adopted then. Otherwise I'd be sorry for her."

"Are you calling me ugly?" Ray fixated him with a glare.

"Do you care if I do?"

"Pfft, just you shut up," Ray grumbled and sat back down on the bed.

"I mean, if you were slimmer and … maybe put on a nice dress and make-up, then I would consider–"

"No way," Ray cut in. "You're the one with the long and fancy hair."

"Well alright then! What do you say to dinner at 20pm in the cafeteria tomorrow?"

***

The cafeteria was thronged with all the mechanics, technicians and ground personnel. Conversation turned into a loud buzz that was punctuated with the chimes of glasses brought together in toasts of the successful training. Maggie had arranged for a caterer to bring a vast array of soups, sandwiches and salads and people already carried paper platters and bowls brimming with food.

Gabe gobbled his third sandwich, after months of stringent diet.

"Easy on that, you mug," Maggie laughed and joined him with a sandwich of her own. "You didn't loose all that weight for this."

"I know," Gabe mumbled and stuffed his fingers into his mouth to avoid spilling. "But they're so good."

"And you've earned them," Maggie agreed with her usual rough heartiness.

Gabe swallowed and smiled. "Thank you."

"I mean it, you two did really good. At first I was a little sceptic, because you two definitely have some kangaroos loose in your upper paddock. But you pulled yourselves together."

"Maggie," Gabe began, the praise making him giddy, the upcoming races nervous. "We couldn't've done this without you. You believed in us when everyone else didn't."

"Oh stop it. I wasn't that charitable when I took you in. After all, you _were_ the best of the best. I only chose to disregard the media like everyone else should."

"Still, we owe you one."

Maggie chuckled. "You can pay me back with winning. I do love winning Championships."

"I know someone else who does … Speak of the devil," Gabe replied and indicated Ray entering the room. His little sister in tow.

"There you are," Maggie greeted them. "I thought you'd miss the party."

A charming smile appeared on Ray's face. "I'd never. Maggie, meet my sister Kiki."

"You don't have to tell me who she is. She's a famous driver in her own right. Currently doing batter than you," Maggie quipped and shook hands with Kiki.

"Don't make him any more nervous than he is," Kiki laughed.

"I'm not nervous!"

"Oh I bet you are," Gabe chimed in.

Then Kiki turned her brown eyes on Gabe and for a moment he was stunned. There were only the faintest traces of resemblance to Ray in her face, quite different from what he had imagined. No wonder Ray was so protective around her. But then Gabe figured Kiki could hold her own quite well.

"And who's this?" Kiki asked Ray.

Feigning exasperation, Ray replied, "Don't tell me you don't know the Elephant Man."

"Oh hey, that hurt." Gabe cut in. "Only yesterday you said I'd look good in a dress! Well anyway, I'm Cash. Gabe to my friends."

"Nice to meet you then, Gabe."

***

Kiki was nice to Gabe. Far too nice for Ray's taste. Thorough the evening he watched them with growing unease. Since the moment he had acquainted them with each other they had got on like a house on fire. At first the conversation had gone on between all four of them, but after a while Kiki and Gabe got lost in a world of their own. Granted, everything they talked about involved racing, but it was from such a point if view that Ray didn't know how to fit in.

Gabe and Kiki shared the same sense of racing: For them it was all about the feeling and instinctive reactions. Everything they did came straight from the gut not from the brain.

Sipping his beer, Ray began to draw away. He was surprised at himself that he envied his sister for getting on with Gabe as easily as she did. He bet if they both were to be a team on the Championship everything would run smoothly. Ray and Gabe as a team on the other hand were like two opposite magnets. They only came together under great strain and wouldn't click.

"Why the long face? This is a party after all," Maggie's question cut through his gloom.

"I just worry about my little sister and what company she keeps," Ray answered.

Maggie's grin widened. "Yair sure, go on and tell yourself that."

"Well it's the truth," Ray huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I rather think you envy her, getting on with Gabe like that. Thinking 'They'd make a great team'."

"Maybe. But sadly, it was my luck to be stuck with him."

"If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much. In my experience team mates of opposite mindsets push each other harder and more efficiently than likeminded ones. And I'm sure Gabe feels the same. He just loves to be better than you and show off with it. That gives him purpose. And you are very much the same," Maggie explained and patted him on the shoulder, awarded him with a soft, warm smile and left to mingle with the technicians.

A little lost for words, Ray ran his hand through his hair and watched the crowd. Gabe and Kiki had vanished. Fighting a flash of envy he put his beer aside and went back to his room.

***

Laughing and joking, Gabe escorted Kiki back to her bike. Talking with her was like meeting an old friend. There were no insecurities about what he should and shouldn't say, no awkward pauses and no battle of words as was his wont with Ray.

"So, since when did you cast your eye on my brother?" Kiki asked him straight out.

Stopping dead in his tracks Gabe just stared at her tanned face basked in silvery moonlight. He wasn't even sure himself how long he had been in love with Ray and being found out like this surprised him to no end. "What? How ... how would you know?"

Kiki laughed and threw her curly hair back as she zipped up her leather jacket against the night's cold. "Oh c'mon, I'm not stupid. The way you look at him gives you away. Anyone with eyes in their head could see that, except for Ray. He won't realize it even if you'd sit naked in his face."

Gabe snorted and the tension left his body. "Never thought he'd be that ... dense."

"Oh yes he is," Kiki confirmed. "But I can tell that he likes you, too. The way he talks about you on the phone, you know."

"Oh really?" Now Gabe's spirit lifted. "Has he said how good looking and how much of a better driver I am than he is?"

Kiki laughed and thumped him on the shoulder. "Quite the contrary. He told me how lax and lazy you were. That your moves are sloppy and so on."

"Not quite the feedback I'd hoped for," Gabe sighed.

"You don't understand. That's the way he shows his affection. If he cares, he criticizes. To make you better. I'd to learn that too," Kiki explained with sympathy in her voice. Her deep brown eyes kind.

Suddenly the impossible odds that Ray might actually fancy him too had shrunk by just a fraction. That was enough of a wonder for Gabe to believe in his cause.

"You mean, I'd actually stand a chance, if I tell him?"

"I hope you do," Kiki sighed. "Ray's my brother and he's always cared for me. But, you see, I'm doing just fine. He needs someone else to care for, so he'll leave me alone for a bit." She laughed.

Gabe grinned. "Very charitable of you."

"Of course. Anyways, he'll be in denial for a bit, I 'spect. But he'll come round," Kiki assured him.

Having said goodbye to each other, they embraced. Gabe watched her climb the motorcycle and speed away into the night. When the darkness had swallowed her tail lights completely, Gabe turned around and walked back to his room. Quite unable to look in on Ray.


	6. World Championship 1987 - Part I

******2nd Grand Prix – San Marino – Overall Standings: Ray Tango**

The last days leading to the championship had flown by fast. Every person on the team was caught up in the preparations to get everything ready for the first Grand Prix in Brazil. Maggie was caught up in paperwork and organizing her crew, Ray and Gabe tried to rally their nerves. After the party a tension had formed between them. Gabe was holding back somehow and Ray still battled with his own emotions of having seen Gabe with Kiki. Insecurity had nagged at him for days now and his outer appearance of cool and aloofness began to crumble. But there was nothing for it now. He and Gabe had to make it work.

Without having time to think anymore the bustle of the preparations had swept them away and off to Brazil. There the same hectic moved them from hotel, through masses of fans to the race track, to qualifying and on to the final race. And as if by some strange miracle Ray had made a place on the podium. He came in third. Gabe had started on pole position after his well won qualifying and had managed to prepare the way for Ray. As they had practiced weeks before, Ray had kept close to Gabe and set off for the finishing line when the way had been cleared.

Maggie and the team were overjoyed. The minute Ray and Gabe had left their cars a whole throng of people stormed up to embrace and congratulate them.

The media went nuts. Everywhere news reports, articles and talk shows reported about how Tango and Cash had returned to Formula One and had already secured their first place on the podium. Of course they were suspected of sabotage. Brian Jones among the first of their accusers.

But they didn't care. The evening of the first Grand Prix the whole team cast away their concerns and celebrated the amazing start of the season. Ray let himself be swept away by the joy of their achievements and felt Gabe doing the same. It was only the matter of a few days that they both had regained their former balance for which Ray was thankful. The whole time he had feared that Gabe had gone back to resenting him for not being like Kiki.

Being able to talk to Gabe again relaxed Ray immensely. Having won the first Grand Prix put him under a lot of pressure. Never before had he felt that way.

"Stop fretting, Ray. You'll only ruin a good suit," Gabe said good-naturedly and stepped up to him.

Ray had been standing next to his car in their pit stop. Around them the usual hectic, but focussed bustle that only an approaching race could summon. The second Grand Prix was held in San Marion and an already eager sun was burning the race track and the audience.

"I'm not ruining it, I'm un-zipping it," Ray scoffed and fiddled with the zipper of his bright red overall.

"Yeah, multiple times in a row just in case," Gabe replied reproachingly.

Ray sighed and looked up. Gabe's blue eyes were dark and full of ... concern? Trouble? He wasn't sure. But something in that look made him open up. "Just worried," Ray mumbled and looked aside.

"I understand," Gabe's voice was soft. "But you– _we_ will manage. You don't have to carry this burden on your own."

At this, Ray was reminded of Maggie's words from weeks ago. She had been right. During the training Ray had given some of the responsibility to Gabe and it had worked out fine. They had made progress.

A weak smile spread on his lips as he looked back at the blond haired man. His face full of ... affection.

"That's good to hear," Ray finally said.

Gabe's face split into his usual wide grin. "That's what team mates are for, right?"

Ray laughed coarsely. "Yeah, right." Then he turned his head towards the track.

Suddenly a weight settled onto his shoulder. Looking back he saw that Gabe had put his hand there, on his face a conflicted expression.

"Look, Ray," he began and his usual booming and confident voice had become soft and faltering. "It's just ... we've come so far together and I just want you to know that I couldn't've done this without you."

A hot flush washed over Ray's skin. He suddenly became very aware of Gabe's proximity, his tense stance, his searching eyes and the slightly parted lips. And his hand. The hand that rested on his shoulder with a heat that burned through his racing clothes.

The petrol and motor fumes wafting around them made him dizzy. Everything about the race flew off into the distance and there was only Gabe.

"What I'm trying to say is ..." Gabe continued slowly. "Aw, fuck this shit."

And without a moments hesitation, he leaned in and kissed Ray.

Ray's heart accelerated with a kick down. His eyes flew wide but he couldn't see. The sensation of Gabe's lips on his own flooded every sense he possessed.

It was a rough, impulsive kiss that crushed both of their lips together in desperate need. After two heartbeats it broke and Gabe drew back.

"Man, I love you, Ray."

Thunderstruck, Ray was frozen into place with his hands dug deep into Gabe's white overall. Then the reality of the race rushed back at him. Everywhere technicians worked around them, camera crews filmed along the track and pilots and employees walked among the pit stops. Each of them a possible witness to their kiss.

A sudden, primeval fear erupted in Ray's chest and took over. With a vicious shove he sent Gabe reeling backwards before he ran off. His legs moving of their own accord.

"Ray?" Gabe shouted after him. "Ray come back! Let's– Let's talk this over!"

But the words were swallowed by the roar of Ray's churning emotions.

***

Blood rushed through his body and his pulse had magnified to a deafening roar in his ears, drowning the mechanic sounds of the pit stop. Gabe could only stand and stare ahead.

Why in God's name had he done that for?!

The strain of the race, the excitement and the fear had made it even more apparent to Gabe that he longed for Ray. His confession had just slipped past his weakened restrain.

"Alright drivers, in your cars! Formation lap in five!" Maggie shouted into the pit stop, her head poking around the corner. "There you are Gabe. C'mon get a move on. Where's Ray?"

Unable to say anything, Gabe just extended a trembling hand into the direction in which Ray had left.

"What? Where?" Maggie turned around and looked in said direction. "What the hell's going on, Gabe?"

Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Gabe replied in a whisper, "I told him."

"You what?" Maggie asked more kindly and stepped up to Gabe. "What did you tell him?"

"That I love him," Gabe confessed to her straight out. What did it matter now anyway?

"You complete–" Maggie began hollering but then cut herself off. She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. "Why'd you do that _now_?"

"It just slipped past," Gabe wailed as he slowly rose from his stupor and the full expanse of his action dawned on him. "I– Shit!"

"Ok right, calm down," she soothed him and got a hold of his flailing arms. "I'll find Ray, get him to race and the two of you talk it out afterwards, alright?"

Looking into Maggie's stern eyes Gabe asked, "You ... don't mind?"

"Does the fact that you fancy Ray impede on your racing skills?"

"What? I– no!"

"Does the fact of Ray's absence impede on our chances of winning?"

"Yes. Course it does."

"There you are," Maggie replied and turned around to find Ray, when he walked right back in.

"Ray!" Gabe called in relief but was ignored completely. Ray's face was hard as stone before it vanished under the soft mask and helmet that he yanked down with determination.

"No time, no time," Maggie reminded Gabe and shoved him towards his car. "The formation lap starts in one. Go, go, go!"

Gabe didn't fully compute. He put on his helmet, sat down in his car and followed Ray out onto the track. Everywhere cars streamed from the pit stops to go on the formation lap to take their designated positions in front of the starting line. Everything happened on auto pilot because Gabe couldn't focus. Thorough the race he re-lived the moment he had confessed his love to the other man. How Ray's expression had just ... erupted with astonishment. His eyes wide, his brow furrowed.

Suddenly a bright yellow car to his left captured his attention as it began overtaking him. It cut across his track and dashed off, leaving him behind in a trail of smoke. Where Ray was, Gabe couldn't tell.

Everything else was a blur.

They didn't make it. When all laps had been run, Gabe had only managed to get on eighth place. Ray two or three places ahead. Apparently he had cast aside his usual technique and just raced off to burn everything in his wake and leave the track as fast as possible.

When Gabe finally drove back into their pit stop, Ray's car was already being dissembled and looked after by technicians. The dark haired man was no where in sight.

"Where's he?" Gabe wanted to know the second he got his helmet off,

Maggie, a troubled expression on her face stood in the middle of the bustling crowds. When she heard Gabe, she turned around.

"He just stormed off. I sent one of the lads after him, to drive him back to the hotel. No use in talking to you two. You don't _listen_ ," Maggie rumbled.

Defeated, Gabe leaned against the wall and slowly slid down towards the ground, burying his face behind his hands. He had ruined everything. He had ruined their friendship and their chances of winning the Championship. Surely Ray would leave the team after this devastating defeat.

"Shit!" Gabe spat, frustration bubbling up in him. "I'm so sorry, Maggie, I ... I didn't think this through."

A gentle touch made him take his hands from his eyes and Maggie's wrinkled expression appeared in front of him. Despite her disappointment she looked rather understanding.

"Look, Gabe. I don't blame you, really. Even a blind person could have seen that you have the hots for Ray. And God knows Ray likes you, too, although he's too dense to actually see it."

Gabe was taken aback by the cocksure deliverance of her observation. Apparently their behavior was rather obvious. Obvious to everyone else but them. "You knew?"

"Sure. I could have interfered, because love in teams always causes trouble. But who am I to keep you from each other? Just go after him, talk things through and ... by God, have a shag, I don't know! I just don't want your sexual tension to ruin the next races. We'll be in Belgium in two weeks time. I need you two in perfect working condition by then," Maggie said, having regained her goodnatured roughness.

"Maggie?"

"What now?"

"You're an angel!" Gabe exclaimed and smacked a kiss on her wrinkly forehead before he dashed off for the next ride back to the hotel.

***

The ride back to their accommodations was completely lost on Ray. The only thing he could think about was Gabe. Even the badly run race appeared to be a hundred years in the past. Instead Gabe and the kiss that had come out of nowhere filled Ray's utter being. One moment Ray had been caught up in his insecurities and the next he was free falling because Gabe had yanked the floor from under his feet. Then there had been the steady, deep blue eyes full of ... Love?

And now Ray wasn't sure what he felt himself. He had been worried about Gabe not liking him after he had met Kiki. But that Gabe actually loved him ... Was that what he felt love, too?

Back in his room he paced up and down. Loving Gabe posed a whole lot of trouble. What if they had been seen kissing? What if their relationship was found out? That more than sabotage would ruin their careers as professional Formular One drivers. And that career was something Ray valued more than everything in his life. But gaining Gabe instead ...

A sudden knock to his door startled him.

"Ray! You in there?" Gabe shouted. A certain agitation in his voice.

Before Ray could form a reply the door burst open and Gabe came stumbling in. With a haphazard kick he closed the door, then rounded on Ray.

"Ray, let me–"

But Ray didn't let him get any further. All his pent up anxiety and frustration cooked over and he swung his fist at Gabe. Gabe's jaw shut with a loud clatter as the fist connected with his chin, splitting the lower lip on impact.

"Ray, what the fuck, man!" Gabe sputtered.

"You colossal fool!" Ray roared in answer, completely beside himself. Lunging at the blond haired man, he grabbed a good portion of his overall and pushed him against a cupboard. "You could have ruined both our careers!"

"I didn't mean to! It just slipped my lips!" Gabe yelled in defense and began pushing at Ray.

With grunts and curses Ray and Gabe wrestled, trying to make the other yield. But after a time jerks and shoves just turned into halfhearted pushes and very slowly they both sank against each other in surrender. Weeks of traveling and today's race had taken their toll.

"You utter idiot. You could've waited," Ray mumbled in defeat, his cheek resting on Gabe's shoulder, muffling his speech.

"I know. But you're just too irresistible," Gabe chuckled. Cautiously, he settled his hands on Ray's waist and drew them up over his back in a tender caress.

Ray stiffened and stood up straight. For a moment their eyes met and an unvoiced conversation took place. How could they have been so blind if it was so obvious in their eyes. Then, giving in to months of held back longing, they kissed. This time it was more cautious and awkward. Not knowing how the other would react, tentative licks and nips were exchanged, before Ray grabbed Gabe's face and pulled him close. With a startled moan, Gabe let himself be propelled forward and answered Ray's need in kind.

The blood spread a metallic taste as Ray ran his tongue along Gabe's lower lip, but he didn't care. The excitement of actually kissing and holding the other man was overwhelming. Heat spread through him as Gabe began to work his hands over Ray's body, exploring each and every curve covered by the heavy cloth of the overall.

Driven by that heat, Ray held Gabe's waist more firmly and pulled the other man with him onto the freshly made bed.

With a grunt and teeth scratching along teeth they tumbled into the soft blankets. Pressed against each other revealed how serious the kissing had become. Despite being confined by racing suits, their budding erections were more than apparent.

Ray gasped at Gabe's own need settling alongside his own. A maddening tingle spread from his groin, making him yearn for more.

"Uh," Gabe said as he lifted his upper body a fraction. His fair skin flushed. "That is ... different."

"Yeah," Ray agreed breathlessly.

But the moment passed in a heartbeat and they dove in for each other, kissing and tugging at clothes. With trembling fingers Ray managed to unzip Gabe's overall and reveal his lean body. Carefully he brushed his fingers along the now considerably slimmer waistline, feeling the damp fabric of the white tee-shirt and the soft ripple of muscle beneath.

A lustful moan slipped from Gabe and he pressed into the touch. Flattening his hand against Gabe's body, Ray drew it downward and slipped under the shirt, tracing soft lines over hot skin.

Humming in appreciation, Gabe sat more firmly across Ray's lap and began working on the zipper. Having found a way under Ray's clothes, his hand slid down between his legs with confidence.

"What the–," Ray gasped, tried to sit up and knocked his head against Gabe's.

"Ouch, oh– I'm sorry! Did, did I ... ? Should you've done that ... to _me_?" Gabe stuttered, his voice unsteady with confusion and lust.

Shaking his head to get rid of the pain, Ray replied with a grin," I don't know ... but it _was_ nice."

Gabe didn't need to be told twice. An eager smirk spread on his face as he reached beneath Ray's waistband one more time. Pressing his head into the pillows, Ray couldn't help but groan as Gabe's hand curled around his length and traced the whole expanse of it. Arousal knotted tightly inside his gut and the growing pressure drove him mad.

Driven on by desire, Ray and Gabe touched, kissed, licked and explored each other as far as the restraints of their overalls allowed. Then they cast them off in heedless need.

That brought the situation back to them.

Gabe sat squarely on Ray's lap who in turn rested his hands on the other man's thighs. Ray looked up into Gabe's feverish eyes. Subconsciously he rubbed his thumbs over the exposed skin.

With a weak grin, Gabe shrugged his shoulders. He actually looked a little abashed.

"Right ... What do we do now?" He wanted to know.

Ray gave an insecure laugh. "I don't really know. I feel like a high school boy on his first date."

"Hah, yeah. Same for me here," Gabe replied, running a nervous hand through his hair.

Watching Gabe, Ray was reminded of their training. They just had to get used to each other. To learn how to work together. And the first step for that was to let Gabe inside.

Ray's hands trembled as he began stroking the other man's supple thighs. Steadily he expanded the radius, over the waist towards the ribs, across the chest up to his face. Gabe shivered under the touch but unwound further and further. He closed his eyes.

"That's nice," Gabe whispered.

"You're nice," Ray replied and kissed his chest.

Gabe's chest rumbled with laughter. "You just want to get in my pants."

"Well, you're not wearing any pants anymore," Ray stated and ran his fingers over Gabe's cheeks. Suddenly Gabe turned his head and captured one of Ray's fingers between his lips.

"If that's the case," he mumbled around the finger and began sucking. His eyes had taken on a fierce, demanding blaze that was only equaled by the fervor with which he worked on Ray's digits.

Ray gasped sharply. The wet, hot suction was enough to turn his every thought to mush. Gabe's willingness to go all the way filled him with such adoration that he couldn't hold back any longer. He freed his finger from Gabe's mouth and captured it in a kiss instead. Gabe moaned heedlessly into the contact as Ray slung his free arm around his waist, locking him into place. His other, slickened up hand drew a wet trail over Gabe's spine and down between his cheeks.

At the first tender push Gabe stiffened in Ray's embrace and his breathing caught.

"No good?" Ray mumbled against Gabe's chest which he plastered with kisses and nibs, tasting the salt covering his skin.

Gabe exhaled and arched his back into the touch.

"Just new ... But I trust you. You're always the better technician," Gabe replied with a husky voice.

Ray rumbled with laughter and grazed a nipple with his teeth. "I'm afraid this is a technique I'm new to ... We've to figure it out as a team."

"Alright," Gabe purred and rolled his hips forward. "Lead on."

And then it became a race. Ray's touches were tender and steady, Gabe's responses were intuitive and heated but together they formed a harmony in which they both found a balance.

Listening to Gabe's grunts and sights made Ray eager for more but he took his time. Gently he massaged and pushed as far as was fine for the other man who in turn began to rock his hips in answer. Ever so slightly they accelerated. Moves and strokes became more fluent, intentions got clearer and they both had set their minds on one thing: Doing this together.

"Ray, Ray," Gabe began to mumble, his hands tightening on Ray's shoulders. "Please."

Fighting to form a coherent sentence, Ray only gasped, "Sure?"

Gabe hummed in agreement and pressed his face into Ray's neck, lifting his hip.

Needing no further encouragement, Ray extracted his fingers, relishing Gabe's throaty groan, and took hold of the other man's hips. Keeping his grip as gentle as was possible with his roaring lust, he moved Gabe into position and guided him down.

It was a kick-down. His heart gave a sudden jolt and Gabe jerked upright in his embrace. In front of his eyes the world exploded and his whole body with it. On top of him Gabe had frozen into a beautifully arched posture with limbs trembling in passion. With panting breaths he sat down fully and Ray held him tight.

"You're ... you're," Ray was lost for words. For once he didn't have anything witty to say, so instead he kissed Gabe and then whispered, "I love you, too, Gabe."

And that was enough. Their engines were running and fueled with love for each other so they set off. With languid slides and arches, Gabe moved up and down, setting a rhythm they had both worked out. Ray supported him, hands brushing over his back, his sides and his thighs.

Propelled forward by their love, Ray and Gabe got lost in their rhythm. Their moves blended into each other, the air between breathless kisses was shared and then, for one single moment, they were in perfect synchronicity and shot over the edge.

Gabe moaned and began to topple forward.

"Got you," Ray managed to breath as his feeble arms held Gabe close as they both sank down onto the mattress.

Ray just stared at the ceiling, glad for its bleak white color because whirling in front of his inner eye were a myriad of colors. Every sense in his body only saw, tasted, heard, smelled and felt Gabe, it was overwhelming.

For minutes they just lay panting in each other's arms, sweat trickling form their skin, lungs working hard. Outside the sun had begun to set and a fuzzy orange light flooded the room.

Then Gabe carefully rolled off of Ray who sighed at his loss.

"We're getting better at this," Gabe wheezed, a weak smile on his lips.

Grinning, Ray rolled onto his side and ran his hand over his lover's stomach. "At what, having sex or being a team?"

Gabe laughed. "I think they go together now."

"Apparently," Ray replied. It was odd, he had never in his life felt so ... tender and cautious around a person. Of course he was sure that Gabe knew how to take his quips and jokes, but right now he just wanted to be ... nice to him. Giving in to this notion, he drew his hand back up again and cupped Gabe's cheek before placing a lingering kiss on his forehead.

Gabe radiated silent pleasure. After a moment's consideration he said with a little grin, "I never thought you'd swing this way."

Ray huffed. "I never thought I'd swung any way."

Gabe lifted his head, eyes wide."Wait, are you telling me that you're not interested in ... relationships?"

"No. But I consider myself married to my work," Ray said and instantly regretted this decision. They had only just now found together after months of denial and he was already driving them apart.

Gabe's face fell and he mumbled, "Uh, I see."

Scolding himself for such a stupid answer, Ray amended, "But for you I'd be willing to get into a threesome."

A small twitch to the corner of his mouth showed that Gabe found at least some consolation in the answer. But then he added with conviction, "Well, I for my part might also consider a divorce, if necessary."

Ray stared back at Gabe's blue eyed gaze. He meant it. He would give up racing if he could have Ray instead. Racing, the sport that had defined so much if their lives. And maybe that was the right thing to do. Who could assure them that their relationship wasn't found out? And what would happen after the Championship? Would they still race for Maggie, would they go back to their old constructors or would they leave racing behind in a blaze of glory? Ray didn't know. But he did know that he wanted Gabe by his side.

With a soft, reassuring smile Ray said, "If you're that sure about it, I'll get a divorce too, when the time comes."

Gabe laughed wholeheartedly and flung himself into Ray's arms. Now kissing each other was second nature to them. Separating, they settled down again.

"When are we going to tell Maggie?" Ray wanted to know. He feared her anger. After all now they posed a potential threat to winning the Championship.

"Maggie?" Gabe sounded surprised. "She knows already."

Ray was stunned. "Uh well, I gotta tell Kiki then."

"She knows, too. Asked me after the party at base camp."

Ray sat up and dislodged Gabe from his chest with a grunt. "How come they all know and we didn't?!"

Gabe chuckled and pulled Ray back down into the sheets. "Organizational blindness."

"Hmpf."

***

It had been a hard fight getting out of the sheets but after a good amount of pestering from Ray, Gabe had submitted. Muttering he had followed the dark haired man into the bathroom, a little stiff around the legs.

Still, he couldn't believe it. His confession hadn't ruined everything between him and Ray. In fact, Gabe had gone full in and had won it all.

A pleased expression played around his lips as he stepped under the shower. Just a second later Ray was all over him, kissing away the smug grin, but Gabe was only to eager to comply. Heedless of time, they stood close, fingers and hands all over each other's body, exploring, finding, caressing. The flurry of their lovemaking had made them hungry for a more gentler pace.

"I could get used to this," Gabe hummed. By now he had his hands braced on the wall below the spray, while Ray stood behind him, working his hands up and down his back, massaging the stressed muscles.

"Hm, yeah me too," Ray purred and let his hand slide down another significant two inches–

"Oi! You in there?!"

Startled, Ray and Gabe nearly slipped on the wet tiles as they turned towards the sound. Next door, someone entered their room.

"Aw, Jesus," Maggie exclaimed. "I hope you're in the shower, it smells like shagging in here!"

Gabe couldn't hold on any longer and burst out laughing. Especially after seeing Ray's face at his thwarted advances. He kissed him on the cheek, stepped out of the shower and wrapped a haphazard towel around his hips. Hearing Ray curse and doing the same, he entered the hotel room.

"Ah, I see you two've made up, yes?" Maggie wanted to know and stepped back from the window she had just opened.

"Yes, all good," Gabe replied cheerily and teetered back to bed.

Maggie raised an eyebrow at his stiff gait.

"Maggie listen," Ray began but was cut short.

"It's alright, Ray. I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it."

"You don't?" Ray seemed surprised.

"No. Listen," she pulled up one of the chairs as Ray took his place next to Gabe, a little awkward maybe. "All my life people had told me to stay hidden. To pose as a man to stand a chance in racing. But I told them no. I'm a woman and I'm not going to hide that just because of some eighteen century minded Dipsticks. And now you face the same situation as I did. What do you want to do?"

Gabe was touched at Maggie's concern. Her eyes were stern and full of sadness. She was genuinely offering them the possibility of bringing their relationship out in the open at the cost of winning the World Championship.

Ray put his hand on Gabe's knee and he understood.

"Maggie, we're flattered at your selfless offer but ... We can't take it."

"What?" She exclaimed.

"Ray and I will be keeping things undercover for a bit," Gabe grinned. "Let's see how far we can get. We want to win this Championship as much as you do, so for now we won't be saying anything."

Suddenly, a small tear spilled from Maggie's eyes and she didn't even tried to cover it. But then she laughed, too. "You two mugs. Let's show those bastards what we've got."

"You bet. Belgium, here we come!"


	7. World Championship 1987 - Part II

******12th Grand Prix – Portugal – Overall Standings: Ray Tango**

And in Belgium they lost again. It was a hard fought race on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps that didn't leave any room for mistakes. Quite contrary to the expectations the weather in May turned out to be cold, grey and wet. All through qualifying and the final race a fine drizzel fell from the sky. In the qualifying Ray had to fight with bad adhesion due to the wetness combined with a thin layer of pollen that made the track slippery and the cars hard to maneuver. When the race had started, Ray was already exhausted and on edge with premonition.

In the end, Ray and Gabe only came out on fifth and seventh place, while Jones came in third with his teammate on first. That only spurned Gabe's determination to win, while Ray cursed his incompetence. But the following two races were even worse. Jones managed to win both the Grand Prix in Monaco and the USA.

Frustrated by their set backs, Ray worked out harder between races, while Gabe had fallen into his former laid back behavior, resulting in bad temper and a lot of fights. The fights mostly erupted when something went wrong and the blame had to be found in the other person. Having shouted until their lungs gave out they just looked at each other a little sheepishly before making up. It was in those moments when Ray wondered why they were moving backwards instead of forward albeit loving each other.

Once or twice they had to be put into their place by Maggie, who scolded them for fighting each other. The enemy was out there.

Between training, traveling, qualifying and the Grand Prix there wasn't much time they had to themselves. And when they had, it was mostly under pressure while training or exhausted in bed, too spent to do anything but stare at the ceiling.

"Been a bumpy ride so far."

Ray continued to watch the badly plastered ceiling for a second before he realized that Gabe had said something. They had just come from a trying qualifying, relieved to have both scored a place on the podium. Tomorrow their starting position on the Circuit Paul Ricard were pole position and second place, a good chance to win.

"Yeah," Ray agreed, his hand resting on his naked torso.

After the qualifying they had showered, put on some trunks and fallen into bed. It was of course only a regular sized bed because Ray and Gabe had a room each, to keep up appearances. Now they were waiting for Maggie to pick them up for the press conference.

Sensing Gabe's unspoken doubts, Ray rolled onto his side and beheld his lover's blue eyed gaze, full of trouble.

An uncertain smile flickered across Gabe's face. It was only the shadow of his usual cocksure grin that beamed at you whenever given the chance. Ray loved that grin. He ran a reassuring hand through the other man's damp hair.

"Now that we don't score anymore, the media begins to doubt we ever cheated in the first place," Gabe mentioned the current news surrounding them.

Ray scoffed. "They can fuck off." All through the Championship the media had rubbed him the wrong way. And now, being in a relationship with Gabe had made him eve more suspicious of journalists and reporters.

"Oh, I love that fire," Gabe laughed and threw him a wink.

Unable to withstand Gabe's all too obvious charm, Ray laughed. In one quick movement he had rolled on top the other man, one hand grabbing Gabe's thighs through the thin fabric of the pants. All his concerns and fatigue forgotten.

"Do you now," Ray purred and leaned down low, hovering over Gabe's parted lips.

Gabe's eyes flickered shut and he hummed in pleasure. "Oh yes. Makes me forget about tomorrow."

"That what you need?"

"Yes," Gabe breathed as Ray placed a second hand on his thigh.

"Then say it," Ray whispered.

"Make me forget," Gabe pleaded and pressed his hip firmly into Ray's touch.

The need to drown himself in the blond haired man took over and Ray gave in. He captured Gabe's lips in a bruising kiss and pulled down the obtrusive track pants to his knees. Gabe moaned and wound under Ray's touches and caresses as his hands flew over exposed skin, kneaded aching muscles and evoked pleasure after pleasure the further it went.

Constrained by his pants all Gabe could do was to sling his arms around Ray's neck and surrender. Desire pumped through Ray's system, burning away the fatigue and doubts. His whole body began to burn with a heat that drove him mad. Having Gabe lie under him in total submittal and need gave him purpose, filled him with love.

The air between them grew moist and stuffy, but they didn't care. Lost in desire they came together and raced on.

Ray had gripped Gabe's thighs high up and had yanked him close. With sweating hands he held him in position as he moved in and out in a pounding rhythm that had Gabe begging for more.

Panting and gasping orgasm crashed over them like breakers on a cliff. Joy erupted and propelled them into the sky only to let them saunter downward as the afterglow ebbed away.

Ray had sagged down on top of Gabe who in return had slung his trembling arms around him.

"Nearly forgot my name there for a second," Gabe huffed with a breathless laugh.

"Only nearly? You begging for a second round?" Ray rumbled with laughter himself.

"Just because you didn't succeed first time," Gabe purred.

They kissed and teased each other for some seconds before a loud thumping on the door sent them reeling. Both sat up with a snap, banging their heads together and looking wildly at the door.

"Are you two quite finished?" Maggie hollered. "The Press conference won't wait for your happy end!"

***

They were far from being finished. Starting with the Grand Pix in France Ray and Gabe had settled in a winning streak. Over six Grand Prix they exchanged first and second place only with each other. The viewers and the media went nuts.

Slowly they began their way of redeeming themselves in the eyes of the public. In each press conference they were as charming and forthcoming as possible. Every time Jones tried to rile them in front of the cameras to make them loose their countenance, but no such luck. Interviews were given, photos taken and their image restored.

All the positive publicity evoked a demand to review their sabotage-case from the last Championship. Sport officials initiated researches and rolled up the case from the start. Ray and Gabe knew that Jones was getting uneasy.

Now Ray and Gabe were caught in a dangerous game of public image and their private lives. Every time they both stood on the pedestal they only hugged, slung arms around each other and waved their hands. All the time Gabe felt the burning desire to just kiss Ray on the spot. But now wasn't the time.

After their race on the Hockenheimring in Germany Kiki had joined their team. With her thrown into the mix everything appeared more cheerful and easier. To Gabe anyway. And he knew that Ray felt the same. Most of the time she was with Maggie, planning the upcoming races and discussing with the mechanics. But in the evenings she joined Ray and Gabe in their hotel rooms and together they spent some wonderful hours of good talk, fun and occasionally drink.

It was due to their happy prevailing mood that Ray's crash took them by surprise and pulled the floor from under Gabe.

The twelfth Grand Prix was held in Portugal in late September with the sun beating down on them the whole day through. A lot of viewers had gathered for the qualifying on Saturday and the ranks bustled with people. Hidden away, deep inside the pit stop Gabe pressed Ray into a bleak concrete wall, his thigh firmly lodged between Ray's legs, feeling his hardness.

"Gabe ..." Ray moaned into the kiss. "We have ... oh, to ... go, the race."

"Only qualifying," Gabe murmured in reply but took a step back after sucking on Ray's neck quite ferociously and leaving a mark.

"Oh that's great," Ray huffed, but Gabe saw that he only barely managed to conceal his grin. "Now I have to run around with a scarf."

"Well, our overalls have high necks, so no worries," Gabe winked at him and together they set out for their cars.

When the red lights vanished one after another, Gabe's pulse accelerated in anticipation. The last light blinked out and they shot off. Thorough the race Gabe held his need to rush in check, not wanting to leave Ray behind. Every once in a while he checked his mirrors and saw Ray's calming presence behind him.

Suddenly a bright green car pulled up next to Ray, Gabe could't really make out anymore. But then Ray's car shot of the track, belching smoke along the way and crashed into the bannister.

Fear erupted in him. His fingers screamed in need to pull the steering wheel around, to get out of the car and to check on Ray. Was he still alive?

A yellow flag was waved at the drivers coming up to the site of the crash. Then a red flag. The session had been stopped.

***

Everything stopped for a second as the steering wheel ripped itself out of Ray's hand and sent him skittering along the track. A sudden impact drove pain through all his muscles and he gagged in reflex. When the world came back to him his arms and legs throbbed, but then he was thankful for feeling them at all. But the pain in his left legt felt different, it wasn't pulsating, it was more a constant pressure.

Groaning, Ray managed to push off his helmet and was instantly hit by the smell of burning rubber and machinery. He tried to lift himself from the chassis but he wouldn't move. His leg was lodged.

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath. Gabe must have seen the crash. What had he done? Had he gone on racing? He had to!

Suddenly people appeared everywhere around him.

"We've located him! He's alive!"

And then he was jostled from the car, thrown onto a gurney and removed from track. Gabe was nowhere to be seen.

***

Gabe flew sightlessly along the sun-flooded corridor of the hospital. His eyes were brimming with uncried tears he only barely held back. It had taken the Formula One officials the better part of an hour to inform him and Maggie and Kiki of Ray's condition and his whereabouts.

"Ray!" Gabe yelled as he burst into the room in question.

Ray looked up from the huge piece of newspaper he'd been reading.

"Gabe! Everything's–" But Ray didn't get any further. Gabe had pulled him into a hug and smothered his remark in a kiss.

"Um ... Gabe– Gabe, door!" Ray murmured frantically, but Gabe wouldn't budge. Fear, frustration and concern clotted his thoughts. He just needed Ray to be safe.

"Got the door!" Kiki announced and closed it firmly.

Then he felt Ray's arms curling around him in return, gently pushing his fingers into his hair. Gabe hummed in relief, closed his eyes and felt a few tears dripping down his cheeks.

"It's just a contusion," Ray explained more for Kiki and Maggie who had drawn up chairs. "What about the race?"

Gingerly Gabe sat up, rubbed the tears away and let his gaze wander all over Ray's body. He looked a little battered, some small lacerations here and there, his hair messy and his foot in a thick bandage, but other than that he seemed fine. Gabe hazarded a smile.

"They called it off after your crash."

"Oh, that's good, I suppose," Ray replied.

"Yair, that's the least they could do. I bet you that bastard Jones had something to do with your crash. But they won't believe me," Maggie explained.

"Idiots!" Gabe hissed as rage bubbled up in him anew. "I saw him draw level with you just before your crash!"

"I saw him too, but ... It happened too fast," Ray admitted, running his free hand over his face.

"That's what he's counted on," Kiki put in. "And now you're out for at least one Grand Prix."

Startled at that information, Gabe whirled around to face her. "What?!"

"Calm down, Gabe," Maggie soothed him, her voice genuinely caring. "She's right. Contusions need to be healed properly otherwise we'll run the risk of a delayed injury."

"But I can't take Spain on my own," Gabe argued. Well, technically he could, he had done so before, but all through this Championship he had relied on Ray. Once they had been rivals but now, with both their careers at stake, they had to race together.

A touch to his shoulder brought him back. Ray smiled at him.

"Don't worry, Gabe. You'll manage."

Before Gabe could say anything in reply, Kiki said, "I could race in Ray's stead. Just this once if the FIA will allow it."

A little hope began to rise in Gabe. If Kiki was there, maybe he could pull it off, but ...

"That's a brilliant idea!" Maggie cut in. "You're F3 Champion and have had enough races this year. They'll give you a super license for sure. I'll speak with the officials this instant. It's only seven more days to Spain. You fine with this, Ray?"

Ray's face had taken on a look of utter horror. But then it dissolved into defeat. Gabe sensed that he too wanted to win the Championship by any means possible. But putting his sisters life on the line was a tall order.

"I ... yes, but do be careful?" He pleaded with deep affection in his voice. "If this really was an attempt on sabotaging me, they might do it to you, too."

"Course I will," she replied grinning.

"Thank you," Gabe told her and squeezed her hand. Some of his hope restored.

"Right, off we go then, Kiki. And you Gabe," Maggie stopped next to him and patted his shoulder. "Keep an eye on Ray here."

With that both women left the room and shut the door firmly behind them.

Gabe sighed and leaned his head on Ray's shoulder who then began running his hand up and down his back in a soothing rhythm. Normally Ray should be the one to be comforted, but the crash had startled Gabe. The fear of loosing Ray in a race had always been a far away idea. But now it had been shoved into his face without warning.

"I was so afraid something had happened to you," he whispered, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

"Don't say that," Ray replied softly. "It's bad enough that I thought it could've happened to you."

For some time they just lay arm in arm, listening to the other breath. It had been a close call. Jones was out for them and Gabe was furious. At first Jones had framed them, now he tried to hurt them! He had even succeeded in disabling Ray for some time, as if he knew Gabe relied on his teammate.

Spurned on by the trouble inside of him Gabe sat up and looked into Ray's dark eyes. They were full of support and love.

"I–" Gabe began, but Ray stopped him.

"Don't worry. I know you'll manage."

Self-doubt twisted Gabe's heart and he blurted out, "No I won't! You've seen what a stupid, lazy ass I am without you! Only, only you made me this good."

Ray's eyes took on a kinder tone and he cupped Gabe's cheek, Gabe wanted to pull his head away but he couldn't. His heart yearned for Ray.

"But that has worked before, hasn't it? How else would you have bested me in four Championships," Ray reminded him.

"That was just because the other drivers were crap and I was just up against you! Now Jones on the loose and he took us out in the last Championship. One by one. This time we only stood a chance because we were a team. Now I'm ... on my own again," Gabe fumed but got more softer in the end as his shoulders sagged and the fight left him.

"Gabe," Ray whispered. Then he gingerly pulled him forward. Gabe tried to fight but he couldn't. The emotional pull Ray had on him was too strong. Sighing, he settled into the kiss and let himself be swept away by the loving touch.

"You know," Ray murmured softly as the kiss broke. "During the training I didn't believe in all this, but you did. For the both of us. Now it's my turn to do that. I believe in it, because I know you can do this."

A tremor ran down Gabe's spine as Ray's words reverberated through him. Maybe, Ray was right. Maybe he could make it. No, he had to make it. Ray needed to believe for the both of them, Gabe had to race for the both of them. He had to pay Jones back.

"You're right. I can do this. I _will_ do this. I," Gabe hesitated, but then said, "I will win for you."

***

Ray didn't doubt Gabe's determination and skill for even one second. In the days leading up to the Grand Prix in Spain Gabe and Kiki had talked each and every technique trough that had been devised for Ray and Gabe. Kiki knew them all by heart and due to her presence Gabe had found his cool once again.

In the evenings, when Gabe had crept into Ray's bed after his training they stayed up late into the night, talking. Gabe had still nursed the glimmer of a doubt that Ray only managed to subdue with some leisurely kissing and talk about things to come after the Championship. After all the finale was only five Grand Prix away. More than once Gabe had fallen asleep on Ray's chest during those talks.

Shaking his head, Ray tried to focus on the racetrack. Despite being the month of September the air was hot and oppressive and the tar track glimmered with heat. It would be a hard fought race.

An hour ago Ray had to say good by to Gabe and leave for a separated grandstand in the pits. With his wheelchair he wasn't allowed to be in their pit stop during the actual race. In the grandstand he was surrounded by other substitute pilots, trainers and ground staff that had to vacate the pits.

Willing his beating heart to slow down, Ray eased his eyes on the waiting cars. With a blaring tune the start was announced and the cars shot of, engines roaring, tires squeaking.

Quite early on Gabe and Kiki managed to leave the throng of other drivers and take up the lead. Gabe came first and Kiki close after, mimicking each and every curve like a shadow. Gabe had nothing on her. But after the first three laps some failures crept into their technique and both were too unfamiliar with each other as to know how to react. In the matter of two laps both had been overtaken by several drivers.

Gripping the edges of his wheelchair Ray nearly bored oles into the huge TV screen with his eyes. Kiki and Gabe were lost in the masses, Jones took aim for the lead.

But suddenly Gabe and Kiki rallied themselves. Kiki had managed to fight her way out of the throng leading Gabe back to the top. And like a hellbent for leather racer and his shadow, they sped over the finishing line, taking the win.

Ray didn't even hear himself yell. Joy and relief crashed through him like nourishing floods over dry riverbeds. They had done it.

***

It was over. The race was run and victory was theirs. Crushing Kiki with a fierce hug, he pulled her from her place on the podium and whirled her around. Everywhere around them people cheered and the announcers voice became a hollow booming sound in the back. Congratulations and well wishes erupted everywhere.

"You did it, you did it!" Kiki wheezed with laughter as he still whirled her around.

"No! We did it!" He yelled back, exuberance burning through his very body. Then he calmed down, closed his eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Kiki. I wouldn't've managed without you."

"You're more than welcome."

Than out of the milling people Ray and Maggie stepped up to the podium. Both with cheshire cat grins on their face.

"Go on," Kiki whispered and gave Gab a slap on the butt in good fun.

He laughed and gave in to his sudden need to hold Ray, to– No, that wasn't an option. Slowing his enthusiastic dash, Gabe saw the same saddening realization in Ray's eyes, too.

"You did it," Ray greeted him and extended his hand.

Grinning wryly, Gabe took it and replied, "All thanks to your racing hot sister."

Kiki and Maggie joined in their laughter, enjoying their well earned victory.

***

A sigh left Gabe's lips as he fell into his well earned bed. Ray watched him battling the exhaustion that must be tugging at his every limb, begging him to surrender to sleep. But knowing how a pilot felt after a race, Ray imagined how Gabe's heart wouldn't slow down. The joy of winning and the adrenaline of the race still coursing heavily through his body.

It was well past 10 pm and the sun had gone down. Only a small bedside lamp on the nightstand illuminated the dark. Through an open balcony door a sweet evening breeze filtered into their room.

With a little effort Ray hauled himself from the wheelchair and onto the bed next to Gabe. He still wasn't allowed to stress his injured leg too much.

"It was an amazing race," Ray said, unable to keep the tremor of need from his voice. The joy of Gabe's victory and his closeness made his heart yearn.

Grinning, Gabe rolled onto his side and brushed a cheek along Ray's thigh. Ray's breath caught.

"I wish you could have raced with me," Gabe murmured and nuzzled Ray's hip-bone, managing to push up the neatly tucked in shirt.

"Yeah, me too," Ray husked, his concentration already slipping. "But with this leg I won't be able to do much before next week."

Suddenly an arm was slung around him and he was gingerly pushed onto the bed.

"Well, if _you_ can't do anything, let something be done to you," Gabe said with a catch to his voice as he slid between Ray's thighs and began kissing his exposed belly.

Heat, electricity and frost plunged along Ray's spine in the matter of an instant, robbing him of every thought. Gabe's calloused but tender hands were all over him, tracing the curve of his chest, his six-pack, his hip bones ... While his lips left a wet, hot trail on his stomach, traveling ever deeper.

It wasn't long until Gabe had deftly opened Ray's track pants and pulled them down along with his boxers.

"Gabe," Ray began but was cut short as Gabe's lips closed about him.

Humming with satisfaction and desire himself, Gabe held Ray's hips firmly in place and began working his head up and down. The rhythm was determined and loving.

Ray's legs trembled and he couldn't do anything to stop them. The only thing he could feel and think was Gabe so he let his fingers run through the golden hair as the head of the blonde man bobbed up and down.

Around him the heat, the stifling air and his thunderous pulse constructed and made him explode.

Ray came undone like the sudden flash of exploding headlights, fisting Gabe's hair with a uncontrolled twitch.

Grinning wildly, Gabe raised his head from between Ray's thighs and looked down at him.

"That should make up for the missed race," he chuckled and licked his lips.

Seeing him like that Ray wanted nothing more than to surrender everything else he had to that man. He adjusted the position of his hips and winked back at him.

"And I thought this was only the qualifying."

A flash of lust sped past Gabe's eyes and his grin got even wider. In one swift move he had captured Ray's lips in a kiss, his hands ripping away the last of the obstructive clothes.

Now they were like love machines in harmony.


	8. World Championship 1987 - Part III

**16th Grand Prix – Australia – Overall Standings: Gabe Cash**

After the shock of Ray's injury and Gabe's own moment of doubt, he felt that a harmony had settled on the team. Ray's contused leg had healed and suddenly they raced with such sovereignty and ease, as if they had always been a team. All of the hard learned techniques just took over and on the race track they moved like a falcon and its shadow. Gabe in the startling lead, Ray as the ever present specter just behind. No one got in between them. No other pilots. No negative media coverage. They had found their flow.

Due to that revelation the two Grand Prix of Mexico and Japan were the best races they had driven in the Championship. Now the final race loomed ahead. Australia.

Driving on his own with Kiki as his teammate had shown Gabe that he wasn't entirely dependent on Ray, that he still was the old Gabe Cash who could race everyone into the ground. But that also made him realize that he could be both things: A single racer and a teammate. Racing with Ray made him even better. With this knowledge rooted deep in his heart, he was sure they would win.

Since the last Grand Prix was held in her home country, Maggie spent the evening before the race with her husband. She had figured that Ray and Gabe needed some time alone and beside that, she just wanted to see her husband after half a year of being overseas. Gabe had to hide a grin when Maggie told them her plans. She often appeared to be that rock-hard business woman, but beneath that she had a heart of gold that cared deeply for her husband and for them. But he didn't comment on it, knowing that Maggie would just huff in denial and swat him.

Suddenly the weight that had rested on his shoulder disappeared. Gabe opened his eyes to a hotel room basked in a pink sunset glow.

Ray had come over to Gabe's room after the press conference. Initially they had wanted to go down into the hotel's restaurant to eat dinner, but after some exuberant kissing and teasing riding on the joy of their successful qualifying, they had just slumped onto the bed.

Watching Ray get and walking over towards the open balcony gave Gabe pause. Only minutes ago they had been laughing and joking and now there was an air of ... despair shrouding Ray that dowsed the cheerful shine of the sun.

For some moments Gabe regarded Ray's triangular form leaning onto the bannister. No matter how hard Gabe had trained, Ray was always the one who's body had been more honed and defined. Wistful memories of past nights spent together made him smile and get up.

"What's on your mind?" He wanted to know and stepped up behind Ray, putting an arm around his broad shoulders.

Gingerly, Ray leaned into the touch but kept looking out towards the city skyline, dusty grays set on fire by orange light.

"More than on your's," Ray quipped but it was halfhearted.

"Well, care to share some of it?" Gabe tried to stay in line with the joke but Ray's melancholia made it hard for him not to be concerned.

"I'm just worried about tomorrow. That race will impact on all of our lives."

"How do you mean?"

"It's just," Ray started but then he sighed and began anew. "If we win, what will we do?"

Taken aback by that question, Gabe just looked straight ahead without seeing. What would they do? To go on racing meant to go on hiding their relationship. To stop racing ... well, would be to stop doing what they loved, what made up huge parts of their personalities. Hadn't he bragged about giving up Formula One for Ray only weeks ago? But what if it turned out that they couldn't stand each other when they were not racing?

Then something dawned on him.

"What ever feels best," Gabe answered and gently pushed his fingers into Ray's black hair, teasing another sigh out of the other man.

"But I don't know what that is," murmured Ray.

"That's because we can only know that when we've won. The moment we stand on the podium is the moment we will decide what to do," Gabe intoned, trying cheer Ray up.

A defeated laugh escaped Ray's lips and he leaned his head against Gabe's chest.

"Apparently with one braincell everything looks much easier," he chuckled.

Gabe grinned, sensing Ray's humor returning. "Well yeah, to me it is. You see, if we keep on racing ... we'll just have years of hot and forbidden lovemaking in between races. Secret sleepovers in each other's hotel rooms and the odd kiss on the cheek when no one's watching. And if we stop racing ... we get to do all of that but in public, say 'fuck you' and just – I don't know – drive around in our Ford Mustangs, do some advertisement, maybe even go into construction business.Who knows."

Now Ray looked at him with such astonishment, that Gabe wasn't sure if he had said the right things. But something in this look made him lean forward, pull Ray close and kiss him.

Ray melted against him with such normalcy that even here, off-track, nothing could destroy their harmony and synchrony when being together. They just worked out.

Pulling back from the kiss, Ray said smirking, "Well now that I had a taste, I feel like I'm rather hungry."

"Oh yeah?" Gabe whispered, raised an eyebrow and pushed his hand under Ray's shirt. "Do you want to eat out or eat in?"

"Maggie wouldn't want us to push ourselves too hard before the final race. So I think some dinner in bed would be best," Ray purred against Gabe's lips before kissing him again.

Feeling Ray's troubles vanishing, Gabe gave himself over to their accustomed slow dance that would leave them breathless, spent but satiated. Being in each other's presence gave them confidence for the day to come.

***

It wasn't until now that Ray had realized that the final race had come. The whole Championship had turned into a bright mosaic of memories made up of joy and success, of failures and set backs. And everywhere in that mosaic the brightest pieces where the times he spent with Gabe, with Kiki and Maggie. Those people who had done so much for him. Who now relied on Gabe and him to win.

The last minutes in the pit stop had been hard and silent. Everyone on the team was set on their task, no one talked out of line and not a single movement was out of place.

Ray had stood next to Gabe, their shoulders touching. He could feel the other man's tension battling inside him, mirroring Ray's own turmoil. They didn't say anything so not a single word of good luck was exchanged. The only communication they had had was the last glimpse before they put their helmets on. It was a look of utter trust, love but also determination. No matter what, they would win this race.

With the last pre-start light turning off, Ray's head did the same. His car shot forward, pressing him back into the seat and his mind into a state of focus and concentration. It was as if an inhuman power had taken over his body. All of his past experiences and learnings sprung forth from his mind and flooded his body. Now he felt the race. This time Ray drove the car as he loved Gabe: Without a single doubt and lead by his instinct.

In front of him Gabe was a shiny beacon of hope. The wisecracking, swaggering big mouth, that thought everything was a game and there for his taking. Ray grinned. Gabe's confidence shone so bright, he was easily warmed by it.

He never let Gabe out of sight. Thorough the race he kept up with his teammate's speed and aggression with which he overtook other drivers until they passed Jones.

Jones was furious. He and his partner instantly began to take up the chase and snap at their heels. But try as they might to get into their formation, Ray and Gabe din't budge.

Before the finishing line in the last lap, Gabe threw himself into the final curve that Ray feared he would loose control. But letting go of his fears, Ray mimicked his lovers every move and they shot out of the curve and across the finishing line.

They had won.

Overtaken by joy, by tears and by complete madness, Ray threw off his helmet, jumped out of the car and instantly ran into Gabe with full force. Whooping and cajoling they held each other close and crashed to the ground. The audience burst into cheers. Tango and Cash had redeemed themselves in their eyes. They were champions once again.

From then on everything happened in a haze. Handshakes were exchanged, Maggie and Kiki sped by, cars got taken away, people told them where to go and what to do. And suddenly Ray and Gabe were back in business. Both of them had won enough Championships to know how this was going and _where_ it was going to go.

Together they stood on the podium. The grandstands were flooded with cheering people. They were loved by the audience once again.

Shouting and waving Ray drank it all in. They were back in the race, a world cup in their hands the audience once more on their side. And still ... That wasn't everything.

Turning, Ray grabbed Gabs's hip, pulled him close and kissed him. In the first seconds Gabe stood motionless but then he kissed back. He answered the kiss with such fervor that he knocked off his base cap so it tumbled heedlessly to the ground. With a pounding heart Ray got hold of Gabe's Champagner slickened face and just tasted him, felt him, reveled in his presence. This was how it should be.

Around them, the people went nuts.

***

Cursing, Gabe ran through the vast apartment, driven insane with desperation. On his frantic dash through the living room he passed his old worn out couch standing next to an exquisite, minimalistic leather settee. He had to get rid of it sometime, he thought as he nearly ran into the furniture. The leather settee, of course.

"Where are the fucking papers?" Gabe called and began pulling out drawers.

"Just where you put them last night," Ray yelled back and opened the door. "C'mon, Maggie and Kiki are waiting for us!"

"If you hadn't been all over my pants yesterday, I would remember where I put them!"

"Try behind your ugly ass couch!"

Spinning around, Gabe looked on the floor behind his sofa that he had brought into Ray's apartment. Never would he be separated from his couch. And there, like the true friend it was, where the papers.

"Got them! And no one is going to touch my sofa," Gabe huffed and pulled on his flaky leather jacked and walked past Ray towards the car.

"Fine, than you can sleep on that from now on," Ray chuckled and closed the door.

They had been living together for about half a year now, to the great consternation of the public and media. After winning the Championship and redeeming themselves in the eyes of the audience, Ray and Gabe had thrown it all away again. It had been a lie. The media only loved them because they looked good, because they won titles. They didn't love them for who they were. By winning the world cup they had shown everyone that they hadn't cheated in the previous Championship, as the FIA eventually came to agree upon. Instead evidence was found that lead to Brian Jones and his team. Ray and Gabe had a fun time watching him being torn apart by the press himself.

Granted, they were dragged through the mud by the media equally hard, but this time they didn't care. Of course the FIA had _suggested_ them to stop competing in any more Formula One races and they both were only too happy to comply.

But despite the rather negative news coverage there were also positive, hopeful voices that named them pioneers for openly gay people in sports, who would give strength to all who were still in the closet.

Having braved the first months of trespassing paparazzis and hate-mail, Ray and Gabe found their footing again. All the past experience had turned them back from driving. Instead they wanted to get into the construction business. That way, they could still work in racing but had a promising prospect of a career after their time as pilots. Both were far beyond thirty by now and retirement was just around the corner.

Today they would meet up with Maggie and Kiki to do the last of the paperworks and formalities. Together they would found the Quokka Racing Ltd.

"Do you want to drive, honey?" Gabe purred and got out the keys.

"No, you can do that, darling," Ray answered with a smirk and took his place in the passengers seat.

Gabe had to smile to himself. Ray always claimed that driving normal cars would ruin his edge and mastership of piloting race cars. The fact that he didn't actually had to drive anymore race cars was always countered with the argument, that he might become a coach or had to test their newest construction. But Gabe knew that Ray secretly loved to criticize Gabe's driving. Just for the fun of it.

With practiced ease, Gabe maneuvered the car out of the narrow, gravel strewn driveway towards the gate.

"Careful with that hedge. You should have been in the army, you drive this thing like a tank."

"I love you, too."

The moment they passed the automatic gates a sudden hoard of photographers and journalist came running around the corner after lying in wait for hours.

"Oh good, here they come," Ray chuckled and pushed up his sunglasses.

"Yeah! I've been looking forward to this," Gabe exclaimed and leaned towards Ray.

They kissed.

Around them flashlights exploded, questions where hurled and accusations were made. But Gabe didn't care. He just melted into Ray's touch, reveling in its sensation. For a long, sinuous minute he just sucked and licked at Ray's lips, drawing a satisfied hum from the other man who returned the kiss in kind.

Slowly they broke apart. Gabe looked Ray deep in the eyes and found only love and confirmation in them. Ray winked.

Putting his own sunglasses back on, Gabe floored the gas pedal and the car shot away, leaving behind a cluster of confused people. No one could unsettle them anymore. Ray and Gabe had found together and would drive on as the racing cars in harmony they were.

**~ FIN ~**

**Author's Note:**

> [Littledozerdraw's Tango and Cash art tag](http://littledozerdraws.tumblr.com/tagged/tango-and-cash)   
>  [ProfDrLachfinger's Tango and Cash art tag](http://profdrlachfinger.tumblr.com/tagged/tango+and+cash)


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